Squeezing Off A Few Rounds (D4 LA Expecting Range)

[John Slaktare]

"Nails ain't fun in a fight. Someone once broke off a fake nail in my skin. That hurts like hell," he says.

"So, yeah. Shooting for wrestling. I usually do sparring and martial arts on even numbered days. Already knocked it out this morning. I'll be trying to find time before or after combat engagements two days from now."

[Yoko Lee]

"Going to start a class maybe? I'm sure others would want to learn that kind of stuff, not just me. As a thought."

[John Slaktare]

"Nothing formal, but if enough folks showed up. The infantry folks got more formal stuff I go to occasionally," he replies with a shrug.

John moves to the table and pulls a box of ammunition out of one of his cargo pockets. He starts loading up the clip on the pistol.

"So, you said you got that needler from someone. Got a story to tell or is that prying?"

[Yoko Lee]

"A bit prying, I suppose. But no reason to be too guarded. The pistol used to belong to someone I worked with. Found him dead in an alley and missing his wallet, looked like it was done with a pistol, but not suicide. Maybe I shouldn't have taken the gun from his coat, but it felt safer that way. Both for me in case whomever did it decided I was involved, and so the authorities wouldn't find that he owned an illegal firearm. So they could focus on the killers and not him."

She kept it purposefully vague, though actually lying didn't seem like a good idea. Even if some of it had been a stretch.

[John Slaktare]

John nods at that. "Well, the dead ain't got a use for things, so it's not like he's missin it," John replies.

He slides the loaded clip into the weapon then charges it. Moving to the post, he readies his stance and takes slow careful aim. Then he lowers the weapon and holsters it.

[Yoko Lee]

"I suppose that's one way to look at it. It wouldn't have been my first thought; Felt like it was more circumstantial than anything else. Then again, maybe I'm just the sort of person who doesn't really deal with complicated things very well. Gods only know there are other things like that in my past. Kind of thought that this job and new life out here would be a little more simple."

[John Slaktare]

"I think the more things you worry about the more complicated it feels. Was simpler before I was leading a lance, and simpler before I was Gunny. But it also got complicated when I joined, then felt simpler after a year or so."

[Yoko Lee]

"That's why I don't think about those things much, I guess..."

Yoko trailed off, hugging her leg to her chest on the stool before putting her chin on her knee, staring off into the distance thoughtfully before speaking up again, more quietly now.

"Sometimes I feel like I'm always running away. But that's not so bad as long as you live your life to the fullest, right?"

[John Slaktare]

He draws the pistol and holsters it a few more times as he speaks.

"Yeah. That's why I do this still. I wanna feel alive, and I get that from the adrenaline and danger. If you ain't trying to do what feels right to you, there's no point in any of it."

[Yoko Lee]

"Hmph. Well, I can't say it feels 'right', but it feels like what I have to do, regardless. If I knew what felt right or not, it would certainly makes things a lot more simple in my head."

She watches as Butcher draws and holsters the pistol, "...working on a quickdraw or something like some kind of space cowboy?"

[John Slaktare]

"Right for you I mean. Kicking the shit outta some jackass ain't right according to the bosses, but it feels right to me," John says.

"I'm just practicing my draw. Don't wanna mess up when it matters and shoot myself in the leg."

[Yoko Lee]

Yoko nods and lowers her leg so it hangs off the school again, "Yeah, that's what I meant. As to your practice, I'll leave you to it then. I don't suppose I can bring this manual to my room, can I? I'd like to at least look it over some more, if I can't keep it."

[John Slaktare]

"I'll make a copy of the pages and get em to you to keep. Tomorrow at the latest," John offers, apparently not considering it an inconvenience.

[Yoko Lee]

It wasn't an inconvenience for Yoko either; She certainly didn't need the pages now. Or soon for that matter.

"Sounds good to me. And I'll be sure to be around for that training you promised, neh? Give you a chance to get up close and personal with me."

Yoko grinned and closed the book, hopping off the stool before walking over and setting the thing down on the table they'd been looking at it on earlier.

[John Slaktare]

He nods at that. "Sure thing. Look forward to it. And if you ever need the cleaning kit, come on by the armory," he replies.

"Enjoy the rest of your day and stay safe." It was a war zone after all.