and then I passed out in the snow

[motherfucking_ghost]

WHO: Church, the poor sobs trying to train or are nearby
WHAT: Someone got a crossbow at the suggestion of some spirit inhabiting a boy. It's got a trigger! See this for basically the gist.
WHEN: tbh a couple of afternoons in late Wintermarch. "today" mostly
WHERE: Training grounds (for bows, not the swordy part)
NOTES: There can be arrows to the knees injuries of the bow type if you'd really like, though it would be through hilarious and dangerous accident

Crossbows. Yeah, that sounded up his alley, the closest thing to a gun. He'd have to thank whatshisface. Cole. Yeah. Thank that tall squirrely kid. Church picked a basic, simple version from the armorer, a couple of bolts, and headed down to the training grounds where all those people practice with their weapons in safe-ish environments.

Okay, now, granted he should probably have told someone. Someone more in charge, maybe. But what's the point if you can't come down and train whenever you want? Huh? Obviously not everyone needs some teacher looming over their shoulder. He misses having a sight, though. Misses his rifle. Misses...a lot of things.

The shitty thing about missing targets though is that, well, bolts are kind of a finite resource. So are bullets, but he doesn't usually have to go hunting for them after. They end up...places. Places where bolts should not generally land, when one is hitting a target. No matter how he adjusts his stance, his sighting, his...literally anything, he never hits the goddamn target. If anyone watches him, there is not a single time a bolt hits at anything he's pointing at/aiming for. They sure end up in walls, and trees, and other targets somehow that aren't the one he's aiming at.

Someone maybe should stop him before he breaks his weapon or hurts someone.

Comments

[metaari]

Metaari raises an eyebrow and glances slowly from the man, to the target he was apparently aiming at, and then back at him again before biting back a grin. Starting out can be rough. He gets that. He was new to it once, too. Can't go ribbing someone for trying. "And ideally, that will be someone you're actually aiming at. But I think hitting a stationary target might be the first goal, hm?"

He rubs the back of his head and eyes the crossbow for a moment. Metaari doesn't particularly have a lot of experience with them, he prefers a recurve, but still... "You need help?"

[motherfucking_ghost]

"It can't be that hard." Is that an answer to Metaari, or is he grumbling to himself? ...Yes. "It should be just aim and shoot. I'm used to that." He's also used to missing damn near every shot, shhh. Let him have his delusions. "Think a sword would be easier? What's so hard about 'swish swish stab'?"

Dear god now he's directly quoting Tucker. Tucker. He's finally gone insane. Next thing is he'll start missing Caboose. Then he'll know to lock himself up.

[metaari]

Metaari glances down at his own bow and he lifts it up, turning toward the targets once more. He knocks an arrow and draws it back, poised for just a moment before he lets the arrow fly. It burrows itself into the dummy's eye a moment later and he glances sideways toward the man again with a faint shrug.

"It took me ten years of daily practice to be able to do that consistently. Yes. It is that hard. Now, the be competent enough to make sure you're always hitting the guys attacking you somewhere? ...Mm, a few weeks." He pauses, considers. "Less, if you're serious about it. I might be able to recommend using a sword, but that whole group tends to be a bit... uptight."

[motherfucking_ghost]

Damn. He lets out a low whistle. "Nice shootin'. Guess with enough practice, a guy like me can figure out how to wrestle a bow without shooting myself in the foot. More literally than I'd like." But about swords: "What, swordy people all uptight? Really? What, are they all, like, chivalrous knights with strict codes of honor and shit like that?"

[metaari]

"A good number of them are, anyway. It's all about form and propriety and the noise is just obnoxious. To hear them talk of it, the ring of steel against steel is the greatest music in the world." He smiles a little, lightly, and he finally gestures toward the crossbow curiously. "So what made you go for the crossbow? I haven't much personal experience with them myself, to be perfectly honest, though I've seen archers do great things with them."

[motherfucking_ghost]

"Man, in my experience, unless it's boots on metal, then that's not really a sound you want to hear."

As to the weapon of choice... "Someone, uh, suggested it to me. As something that might be kind of like what I'm used to using, where I'm from. Something with a trigger to be pulled."