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Post by YammaY on Mar 24, 2016 11:38:44 GMT
Okay Focus.
Zell lined up the sights and shot five bullets at the target, then had the target come forward to see how the sots had group. He was still in his suit, having just gotten off work for the day (officially) and having decided on the moment to hit the range.
A frustrated sigh. He'd been able to do better than this before. The grouping wasn't horrible, but he remembered that he could do better and that irritated him. What frustrated him more is that most wouldn't consider it something to be frustrated about. It was a pretty average grouping for anyone who used a handgun professionally.
The thought of calling it quits for the day crossed his mind. Maybe he just needed a break, a cold beer, and a few minutes away from the range, then coming back with just enough alcohol in his system to level his head. Maybe he'd get some satisfactory results then.
The idea seemed appealing, really appealing, even if he any beer in America he wouldn't call horse piss would cost him as much as a low end whiskey. It seemed increasingly like a beer and a smoke would do him some good before he hit the range again.
He replaced the bullets he'd spent previously and was just about to leave the indoor range when a lowd-ish shot rang through the air. It wasn't too noisy, but it did sound like something magnum caliber. Certainly something with more punch than his 9mm handgun, and even maybe a little more than a .45. It seemed likely to be .357 magnum, though Zell wasn't certain anymore. Things he didn't really remember sometimes seemed familiar. He couldn't exactly call it Deja Vu, but he didn't know what to call it otherwise.
It had been awhile since Zell had fired a revolver, it couldn't hurt to at least see who had the revolver and how they handled it. Revolvers were nice, but Zell couldn't exactly use them in his line of work, unfortunately. There was still a bit of nostalgia to them for him.
Zell approached the sound of the revolver fire, or what he assumed (or perhaps hoped was a better term) was revolver fire.
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Post by Tulf on Mar 25, 2016 10:12:03 GMT
It had to be said – while Lili treated her weapon with utmost love and care, her accuracy left a bit to be desired. But, that was probably mostly a reflection of her personality; as she wasn’t a fan of firearms for the sake of finesse or skill; instead, she just wanted to hit things with a loud thing that was supposedly lethal. It was just like her work with her bat; it wasn’t a matter of sadism or sociopathy, but just a preference for displays of violence rather than using that kind of energy more productively. Despite her professional look in her IACSB suit while on the firing range, the girl was there for the enjoyment rather than for practice… though in a way, they were on in the same for the moment. The Mateba revolver wasn’t exactly a weapon with high recoil given its unique mechanism, and yet Lili’s muscles were locked to the point where the pistol barely moved – a mix of practice and raw strength, alongside that intense attitude the would-be werewolf dragged with her everywhere. Originally, she’d get a chiding from the range’s caretaker every time she showed up for her poor form; but given her inhuman power she could get away with it… plus, her love of the maintenance of firearms had made her something of a star student in her own way amongst the staff given all kinds of menial work relating to taking the guns to pieces and back together again could be dumped on her without a word of thanks. Perhaps most notable for her newfound observer, though; was the speed at which Lili cleared the chambers – the six shots rang out in very quick succession as they were unfettered by recoil; leaving the little wolf to let out her frustration in the brief hail of rounds. But, she still wore her usual blank expression as she raised her revolver again, frowning gently as she loaded her bullets one by one – speedloaders were easy, sure; but loading bullets singularly gave her time to relish the experience of firing… it was a lot like her drugs, really. The flash, and then the drip… But, as she flicked the cylinder back in, Lili would notice her odd guest – she was used to being watched given her bizarre choice of weapon, but she hardly appreciated the attention all the same. Pale, white hair, so pale… short. Not a new face to her, but someone she did not care for all the same. Another soul, another suit… so long as he wasn’t around Arwen, she did not really care for his attention. But – something still caught her eye. ”Jericho… it suits you.” remarked the similarly silver-haired girl, staring at Zell’s firearm intently – that sort of intensity befitting an enraptured kid rather than any kind of aggression; though it was hard to tell with Lili. ”But, you should try all three sizes and both frames before you get too attached. The compacts are quite nice, but the polymer frames feel too flimsy to me. Wooden grip, though… well, that’s okay. I think the Springfield XD is better though. Especially if you want a compact.”
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Post by YammaY on Mar 25, 2016 11:34:02 GMT
Zell wasn't sure what surprised him more, the revolver, the girl firing it, or quickly she was doing so. All three quickly made the whole situation feel like a pain in the ass he shouldn't have gotten involved in. Like most situations. He'd seen the girl around a few times before, but didn't really have any feelings about her. She always seemed very stiff. He'd seen her around with a much taller blond woman before who was remarkably cheerful whereas this woman tended to be taciturn.
The Mateba Autorevolver wasn't really a light and wieldy pistol, which contributed to the reduced recoil the gun had, but even the recoil seemed to disappear. Additionally, her initial shots looked pretty effortless, contradicting the massive weight of the trigger pull. Part of Zell wanted to wonder where the girl had made such as acquisition, another wanted to point out why it was a horrible choice and she should just trade it in for a double-action revolver, and a third wanted to express his shock about seeing one in person finally instead of just having heard about it.
She made some good points and observations of his choice of firearm (well, at least for someone assuming he was an inexperienced shooter . . . which wasn't entirely incorrect, per se), which made the fact that she was using such an expensive, finnicky paperweight all the more baffling. "I happen to prefer it to other CZ style 9mms. I also prefer full-size pistols, at least for my line of work. Personally, I'm not fond polymer frame guns overall. I feel weight has its advantage in reducing recoil and I don't really carry guns concealed so weight isn't really a factor there." Zell stated, taking a moment to take items out of the inner pocket of his jacket to roll, a cigarette, the continuing as he rolled it. "The XD is certainly a good 9mm compact, I just don't particularly want to use one. Ideally, I like full size pistols with an all-metal frame, all steel being better. Mostly I use the Jericho because it's an all-steel CZ Style pistol. I'd be just as fine with a CZ 75. As for the wooden grips," he paused again for a moment to light his freshly rolled cigarette and pocket his lighter and materials. "Purely aesthetic preference to be perfectly honest. I wasn't really fond of the plastic grips that came on the gun. I should be allowed one flight of fancy for an otherwise well thought out choice in guns, shouldn't I?" It felt nice to actually discuss guns again. Most people in the church hadn't really been all that keen on it and he hadn't really gotten to know much of anyone in the IACSB enough to discuss it. This woman just happened to talk to him by chance.
"The Mateba's an interesting choice. It's bulky, heavy, lacks a safety or decocker, and the double action trigger is incredibly heavy, from what I've heard. Any particular reason you prefer it over, say, the Colt Python, which would certainly be cheaper, or the Mateba 2006m, which gives the same lowered bore axis?" Zell asked. Surely she had some reason for picking the damn thing if she could analyze his gun choice as she did. There had to be some rationale behind picking a gun that would be a hindrance in combat. At least it was in a reasonable caliber. .44 Magnum would be understandable against certain types of supernatural entity, but rather impractical for most situations, and god forbid she went through the trouble of finding one in .454 Casull. "I only came over because I recognized the sound of your round. .357 Magnum's a good choice. I'd be using a revolver if I didn't eventually want to get a threaded barrel and suppress this gun." Baby steps. The IACSB had only allowed him a few pieces of equipment at a time, and given the line of work he tended to be involved in, he felt safer with the UV Flashlight he'd been offered than a suppressor.
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Post by Tulf on Mar 26, 2016 1:26:09 GMT
At first, Lili looked as blank as ever as Zell listened; watching his eyes closely as they darted around. But, when he opened his mouth…! With that click of two people connecting, the little wolf’s eyes sparkled with hidden glee. Guns! Guns! Someone who cared about guns! However, her enthusiasm quickly began to fade… oh dear. Someone who cared about guns more than she did. Then, was he the boss around here…? Her instincts made her want to back off, but her curiosity was a bit too much. ”Shouldn’t you just take something bigger than a 9mm if size nor concealment doesn’t bother you? Or are the IACSB regulations holding you back again? It took ages for me to get permission for mine.” replied Lili, cocking her head to one side as she spoke; ”If you’re so keen on weight and aesthetics, maybe you should use an actual Desert Eagle… hah.”The laugh was strange. It sounded forced, but her expression seemed genuine. It didn’t fit Lili at all. And yet, it was somehow charming. However, that left her having to handle the critique of her beloved toy… opening her mouth briefly, then closing it; the girl would clearly struggle to answer… she’d even glanced aside a bit, a hint of a blush on her face. As someone who always seemed so practical and pragmatic, it was extremely hard for her to admit her tastes in weapon were merely a flight of fancy in this case. Especially with someone higher than her like this man… s-she felt like she really wanted to impress him right now… ”…I like the weight. I’m a hybrid, so I’m very strong. The trigger isn’t a problem due to that too, so it’s okay. No safety… I’m too impulsive, so I don’t want that…” mumbled Lili awkwardly in response, finally getting her words together; albeit still struggling to make her excuses; ”Y-Yes, it’s .357 – anything bigger seemed silly…” Well, that was a lie. She had been aiming for the .454 Casull originally, but alas… big rare guns were hard to come by, especially in her homeland. With that, Lili would look at the ground, clearly humiliated by her own display… and, finally, with the voice of a mouse, she’d make her admission; hopefully only to herself. ”I think it’s really cool…”
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Post by YammaY on Mar 26, 2016 3:57:30 GMT
This girl was odd. Not that Zell was one to talk much, but she perked up considerably when he started talking about guns. Going from neutral to practically ecstatic in the blink of an eye once the subject of firearms had come up as more than a critique on her end. Obviosuly it was something she was relatively passionate about, though the trained eye might observe that from the fact that she knew enough of the Mateba Autorevolver to actually own one. "When it comes to standard rounds used in combat, they all have advantages and disadvantages to the point that it's ultimately personal preference. 9mm just happens to suit me well and it's so widely used I can scrounge ammo from enemies if need be. I usually don't need much more kick than 9mm, and if I do I switch to incendiary rounds. If I need more than that, I'd consider investing in a rifle. Likely a bullpup like the Steyr AUG for maneuverability. I'd be happy with anything I could get to be lefty-friendly though, honestly." Zell replied to Lili. "As for the Desert Eagle, it's not very reliable. Due to the weird bolt-based action it tends to jam. As much as I like the idea of a Semi-automatic that can shoot magnum cartridges, it'd be horrible to hold. You'd be better off figuring out how to make a pistol with a forward magazine like the Mauser Broomhandle fire a magnum. I could use something with more punch, but 9mm does the trick most of the time, and having 15 rounds in one magazine largely compensates for lacking the power of a magnum." There was a merit to magnum cartridges, especially when dealing with supernatural entities, but the average handgun cartridge seemed to have more utility overall once you went to anything above .357 magnum.
As Zell critiqued her choice in firearmm she looked remarkably flustered like she was trying to force out a response that involved the merits of the gun. Mostly it turned into her justifying how the flaws didn't really effect her, which was one mentality, but it didn't really work in practice. Just because the flaws of something didn't hurt you particularly didn't mean you'd get a bonus from a more practical option. Still, he watched her impassively. The only part of his face that kept moving were his eyes, always scanning for potential danger, more out of habit than anything.
It was barely audible, but Zell caught her real reasoning and sighed a little. There was something vaguely innocent and remarkably girlish about the way she presented her preference that made it impossible for him to get truly steamed at her impractical choice, but that didn't make the choice anymore practical. He couldn't bring himself to be that mean about it, as there was something magical about finding a firearm you really just irrationally liked, but the critique still needed to happen. "Grips are one thing, but you really shouldn't take a range toy into combat just because you like it. I'll admit, you handle the gun really well, but all that's really telling me is that you'd be even better off with a more practical option. If you wanted a big round to smack things with, you could easily go for the Smith & Wesson Model 29, though a .44 mag will be pretty overkill against most non-supernatural things. If you're really attached to the low-bore-axis design, the Mateba 2006m is a much sounder choice, though may cost you even more than what the Autorevolver cost you. I think the best option would be a Colt Python though. Excellent trigger, even in Double Action. Crisp break. Still in .357 magnum." Zell commented, taking a drag from his cigarette and exhaling the smoke out to the side before continuing. "Your reasoning regarding the weight is nice and all, and it looks like you take great care of that Mateba, but you're limiting yourself. Just because the guns flaws happen to suit how you use it doesn't mean you're not limiting yourself."
She was a hybrid, so that did mitigate the weight, but it just meant she could be even faster with a lighter gun. Maybe her strength was enough she was worried about breaking something that wasn't a massive tank? Even then, there was still the finicky action, which the girl seemed to mitigate by keeping the gun in excellent working order. If she wanted a heavy, tank-like gun there were still more inherently reliable options that beat forcing a reliable response out of. "Honestly, you're forcing the advantages out of the gun. I have to say, I'm impressed by the fact that you keep it in as good working condition as you do, but maintaining something that's high maintenance well doesn't make it good. All you're really saying by making something impractical work is that you'd do even better with a more practical weapon." Zell leaned back and took a long drag of his cigarette. "I don't mean to lecture, but you obviously know enough about firearms to know better. Continue using it if you like, but be aware you could be doing better." He wanted to come across in tone like a disappointed parent, but it sounded just as impassive as the rest of his critique. There really wasn't skin off his nose unless they were working together, in which case Zell would definitely prefer a more practical firearm as support.
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Post by Tulf on Apr 6, 2016 15:39:16 GMT
As Zell babbled on, Lili’s eyes sort of glazed over – she was already too caught up in her own thoughts to pay too much attention… now, she loved firearms and all, but all this practical stuff was a little bit beyond her. In truth, the gun really was sort of a toy to her rather than a proper weapon; as after all, her raw strength was always going to hit harder than a bullet. That said… she did always try and talk the talk, so getting shot down like this was… ooh, she felt bad… Frowning noticeably as her newfound senior continued, sort of squirming awkwardly like a scolded child before him. This was just like getting told off by Arwen… usually she’d want to feel upset or bitter, but like this… it just felt natural to roll over and give up. He was the boss here, so she should not bite back. Nodding shyly, the silver-haired girl would droop before him slightly; clearly just letting the critique pile up on her shoulders rather than trying to interject at all. ”So… C-Colt Python… I’m not so good with standard revolvers, b-but okay…” replied the little wolf unsteadily, seeming a bit confused about being so suddenly swept off her feet. This really was a mess. Ah, she was such a failure! She should just listen, she should just listen! She’d been bad! ”Okay… I’m sorry, sir.” mumbled the girl in resignation, hanging her head in bereavement. She’d been a bad girl…
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Post by YammaY on Apr 10, 2016 10:34:17 GMT
Zell got the distinct impression Lili'd mind had wandered elsewhere about halfway through his lecture and sighed. He wasn't sure who to be upset with, Lili for her short attention span or himself for coming in to strong with the lecture right away.
He noticed in the time he'd taken to give Lili that lecture his cigarette had already burnt down significantly. He took one last puff from it then dropped it to the ground and extinguished it with his foot near mechanically.
Himself. He had to be angrier with himself here. He had gone off on a limb Lili would respond well to that sort of lecture. Now he'd just probably made the situation worse. It didn't do much good to fix her choice in gun if she didn't understand why what she was doing was a bad idea.
With a disappointed look on his face, he decided he must concede. "It's obvious you're not really the technical type." Zell said, somewhat resignedly. "You might as well keep using the Mateba. It might be impractical overall, but you're doing well enough with it." He loathed to admit something like that. Absolutely hated it. Just because someone forced a good reaction out of something didn't make it good, but it was near futile to tell Lili to do anything than what she was currently doing. That much was painfully obvious.
He now felt like he'd told a little girl their favorite toy was bad. The thought didn't give him much remorse, but the sight of the woman in such a state was sort of pathetic. Maybe they could restart the conversation without the gun talk. In spite of seeming promising, it turned out to be fairly disappointing.
"I kind of went off on that lecture without asking your name. That was kind of rude." Zell stated. "My name's Zell Ophiucus, CIA Third Class. I suppose since you mentioned being a hybrid, it's only fair I mention being a psychic."
It occurred to him it'd be especially bothersome if this woman were higher in rank to him. Not that it bothered Zell directly, but she might bother him. He couldn't help but be frustrated at how much he'd jumped the gun on the whole conversation. It could easily come back to bite him now.
"Do you drink? I was actually about to go get a beer," Though, he wasn't much in the mood to return to the range and shoot now. He certainly wouldn't have the cleared mind he'd hoped for. "I'd buy you a drink or two if you came with me. It's not an apology and it's not a date. Drinking alone in a bar makes me look like an alcoholic."
Zell considered the thought that it was entirely possible he was a functional alcoholic, but considered it irrelevant to is current aim. "If you want we can cut the technical talk and just talk about guns we like." Zell mentioned. That much only seemed fair at this point.
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Post by Tulf on Apr 24, 2016 14:36:33 GMT
The boy’s bitter look and words just made Lili feel worse, visibly deflating as he continued – especially his dismissive remark to top it off. She was a bad girl! She messed up! She was a failure! She wanted to just dig a hole and shove her head in it now! But, it was clear that the smart boy didn’t want to talk anymore about the matter… she just sulked instead, frowning resolutely. She’d have to do better… yes, she’d have to do better! She had to learn! It was just like with everyone else! Oh, but names were mentioned! Yes, she was good at this bit. ”Lili von Brandt, CIA Third Class. I’m a hybrid. Were-wolf. I used to just be a cleaner, but I have to do field work now.” explained Lili mechanically, seeming clearly disinterested with this topic - but, it was something she had to answer, so she couldn’t complain too much. ”Um, if you want more details, ask Arwen, okay? I’m not good at talking.”But, then Zell continued – and he wasn’t talking about guns or work! That meant – something exciting! They were gonna go out and play? Maybe a walk? Or, something more? She usually wouldn’t be interested, but… today, she was so bored! She wanted something to do. And this boy seemed worth looking up to, so… she had to listen. ”Yes! Let’s drink! Don’t worry, I have my shots! I won’t get angry!” chirped Lili immediately, suddenly seeming very intense – okay, admittedly, she hadn’t drunk beer before. Wine, yes, but beer; no. So, this was exciting! And the promise of talking about guns, too! ”My favourite is the Barret M82!”
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Post by YammaY on Apr 28, 2016 4:58:38 GMT
Lili introduced herself as a werewolf hybrid. Yes, that followed. Either a werewolf or an ogre hybrid were the msot likely options in Zell's mind. She didn't seem much like someone who would be part ogre, but an ogre who was only a few centimeters taller than the already tiny Zell wouldn't be the weirdest thing he'd heard before. "I see . . ." Zell replied to Lili's description of her job. Arwen . . . was that the woman he recalled often seeing her with. "Is Arwen your friend?" Zell asked Lili. Something about her always seemed off. A sizable portion of the instances in which he remembered seeing the tall, blonde woman involved her tripping. Lili seemed more reliable to work with overall. Maybe possessing a horribly short attention span, but at worst that meant he could repeat himself to her and make sure she understood.
The response to the suggestion of drinking was slightly worrying, but Zell couldn't very well back out now. This situation could get troublesome very quickly.
Why do I do this to myself? Every best laid plan seemed to turn out this way anymore. He had to relearn how to lay good plans it seemed.
Zell couldn't help but chuckle a little when Lili mentioned her favorite gun. The girl was nothing if not consistent. Reliably impractical was far better than a spotty, unpredictable record of behavior. "Anti-Materiel Rifle . . . suits you." Zell said. It certainly seemed like something that would hit hard, and yet again something Lili could make strangely efficient use of with her strength.
He'd brought up the topic so he'd definitely have to respond in kind with a gun that he liked. "Mine is . . . hmmmmm . . ." Zell had to think about it for a moment. He tried to remember if there were any guns he had a particular attachment to. He'd used a lot of them, trying to find the ones that suited him best on a practical level. were there any guns that had seriously tempted him in spite of a lack of practicality?
One option shined out in his mind. Something that his love for seemed to transcend his usual pragmatism. "I guess I'd have to say the Walther WA2000." Zell said. It wasn't totally impractical, but that was just it, Zell always came back to justifications for wanting to use one in spite of the cost and the fact that it had been rejected for military purposes. Of course, in his current job, something that the police sometimes used might be just as practical . . .
There he went again with it. Every time he thought of the gun, for every impracticality there was a counter argument. It was a dangerous mindset to have given the cost of getting one. A potential impulsive purchase he could definitely regret. It wasn't that the gun was totally impractical, it was that the gun has small impracticalities that he kept trying to justify in one way or another. "I guess you could say I'm something of a bullpup fanatic in general."[/color] Zell stated. That was mostly for practical reasons, certainly, but not entirely.
Zell double checked to make sure his gun could be holstered safely, then did so. Decocked, a round in the chamber, magazine full. He had his spare magazines too. Now that that was out of the way he gestured towards Lili to follow him where he was headed. The pub he intended to go to was only a bit of a short walk away. He had a sizable amount of money to spend. Splurging on one of the few human beings he felt he could get along with wasn't the worst way to spend money he could think of.
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Post by Tulf on May 7, 2016 21:54:25 GMT
Zell’s question regarding Arwen made Lili’s eyes ignite with intensity; her stoic demeanour breaking down entirely for just a moment of childish fury - ”Yes! Arwen is my best friend!” exclaimed the girl, her eyebrows finally furrowing for a just moment before she regained her composure; returning to her usual part-frown. ”Arwen is very nice and good. I like her a lot. She is my favourite.” continued the girl, still sounding a bit more passionate than usual in her speech even though her expression had calmed again. ”Don’t bother Arwen or I’ll be mad.”But, with that she was back on topic; eyes sparkling upon earning affirmation from her new friend. Someone finally thought her choice was right! Arwen just gave her a pat on the head, and her superiors just rolled their eyes. She just wanted to be a cool sniper like in the movies. And, big guns were just better than small guns, right? So, the biggest gun had to be the way to go. Still, Lili was a polite listener as much as she was a blunt speaker; nodding in agreement with Zell’s own suggestion of the finest firearm. ”Mm! They are very fancy. Very few of them around, but they seem more practical than they say.”Zell’s further thoughts on the matter of firearms earned a similar nod of thoughtfulness from Lili; whom was clearly rather into the topic at hand as an emotion or two slipped through compared to her usual iron-heartedness. ”Bullpups do look good, most of the time. But, I think the proper-sized barrels of older guns are good too. Revolvers and pistols and rifles and such. Bullpups can look stupid too. The AUG is silly-looking and awkward to hold at first.” explained the girl, seeming to nod thoughtfully along with her own point as if it was somehow profound. ”I think when the next major model of rifle is rolled out it will be very interesting.”Similarly to Zell, Lili would properly check her gun before leaving; albeit also unloading it unlike him – with her strength she hadn’t much reason to always carry a loaded gun… and it was really satisfying to load it again anyway. Preferably without a speedloader too, if she could get away with it. As Zell took the lead, Lili would trot along behind him like the canine she was; looking expectantly at him with a hint of the style of a hopeful child. She’d been to pubs before, but never to drink! This would be so exciting! [/font]
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Post by YammaY on May 14, 2016 8:16:46 GMT
Lilli's enthusiasm was palpable when talking about Arwen. On par with her previous talk about guns and her Mateba. It was odd, Lilli seemed rather like Zell in that she seemed fairly autonomous from other people. "Everyone needs someone, I guess." Zell commented before becoming oddly quiet for a few moments, even after Lilli implicitly threatened him if he got too close to Arwen. Even someone who seemed to be on the border of sociopathy had someone they held that close and dear. As long as he could remember, Zell had never been close to anyone. Even saying he had had friends would be a stretch.
It didn't bother him really. He was alone, but not lonely. Yet, he could still remember a curious sense of betrayal when he lost his original position as an inquisitor.
Zell frowned a little and turned his eyes downward. "What makes you call Arwen a friend as opposed to just an ally or coworker?" Zell asked. He felt oddly like a child at an aquarium, staring at all the colorful fish swimming around. They danced and flitted about in ways that seemed meaningless to the child but seemed to hold all meaning to the fish.
The frown deepened and his pace slowed down. "Forget it, I guess that was a dumb question." Zell stated.
For the first time since he woke up from that coma, Zell was reminded of how utterly inhuman he felt.
Gun talk was easier. That was something that he could relate to easily.
"The biggest issue with the WA2000 is that it's very well designed, but it has a failing for my purposes that a lot of Walther guns have. It's ultimately a target gun chambered in a military grade caliber. The tolerances and construction aren't sturdy enough for a real battlefield. It's a bit troublesome." Zell replied to Lilli's thoughts. It was a shame really. She wasn't dumb, or stupid, per se, but she seemed to lack a good way to focus or communicate her thoughts.
Zell considered what Lilli had to say about the AUG and bullpups as a whole. She knew what she was talking about to a certain extent, but there were still a few gaps. She sounded a bit like people Zell had talked to during his time in the church. They studied a few essays on theology and were immediately giddy to discuss faith and bring it to the masses. "The AUG was what it needed to be when it was designed. It was a good proof of concept of what you can do with bullpups, but other guns have refined that concept much better. Being a lefty, by biggest gripe with the AUG is the ejector. Not all models let you switch which way the gun ejects. Getting pelted in the face with spent casings while you try to shoots isn't really great." Zell replied to Lilli. He brushed over that she seemed to think bullpups actually had shorter barrels, which honestly defeated the purpose of the whole concept. Well, she would just do what she did best, he supposed. She wasn't abd company so he didn't really feel the need to complain too much, and he supposed she wasn't really someone who relied on her gun too heavily, so it seemed best to let that slide.
The way she talked she seemed hellbent on impressing him though. That was troublesome too.
It was a short walk to the pub Zell preferred. Zell preferred it because it was more low key than most places. There wasn't any of the horrific, headache inducing noises of most places. No yelling over each other to try and get a server, it was nice enough.
The bartender merely nodded at Zell as he walked in and gave his companion a curious glance.
Zell plopped down at his normal table in the corner of the room, his back to the corner where it felt remotely safe.
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Post by Tulf on Jun 1, 2016 22:44:17 GMT
Zell’s confusion over Lili’s relationship made her frown a bit – she was used to at least a smile or something. People were usually pleased that she cared about someone; especially someone like Arwen. But perhaps more to the point, he raised a strange question… ally, co-worker, friend? They were different, weren’t they? Even she knew that… right? ”She’s important. Allies and co-workers are just other people. Arwen is someone. She does nice things and asks how I’m feeling. It’s – nice.” replied the would-be werewolf, ignoring Zell’s attempt to dismiss the question – she was a bit too stoic to listen to that sort of thing. But, with that aside, Lili continued to follow along with Zell; listening intently – or as intently as she could. Her eyes darted about curiously; nose twitching now and then at whatever interesting scents passed by – it was hard to focus out here. There was a lot of stuff in the world; this, that, and all the rest; and she was tempted by every single one… it made her head hurt. It was getting hard to listen… the girl’s eyes furrowed with frustration at her own senses. ”Military-grade is military-grade for a reason. So, it must work most of the time. But I’d prefer something more reliable. Bullpup is exciting, but there is something to be said for why some firearms are still used after decades, I think. Plus usually you don’t need more than a pistol. Sometimes not even that.”Lili’s hands clenched for a moment. She wanted her bat right now… The bar’s interior only seemed to make things worse for the anxious girl, but perhaps the allure of alcohol would be enough to sedate her senses in due time. While seeming initially confused (and looking rather blatantly out of place in her outfit), the girl would awkwardly sit opposite the boy… and then go utterly silent; clearly unsure of how to continue. Instead, she just started to look around idly; looking a bit like a excited child in a new place as her head bobbed around with her glances.
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Post by YammaY on Jun 6, 2016 1:07:46 GMT
Lili's answer made sense, but in a way it only deepened Zell's frustration. "I see." Zell replied a little absently to Lili. He couldn't really say he envied Lili having someone like that, the thought hadn't really occurred to him before. It'd always been a matter of taking care of his own needs. He couldn't really say he wanted friends, but it seemed like something he should want. Maybe that meant he wanted it all the same?
Zell dropped the line of thought. It was vexing and distracting. Any and all talk about guns was better and more in his element. Thankfully, Lili was ready and willing to continue the discussion about firearms.
Lili's standpoint was definitely rooted in how she fought, which was very upfront. It certainly had to be effective, or she probably wouldn't be standing in front of him, but Zell preferred a little more finesse on the battlefield. Of course, that had gotten him exactly where he was now, so maybe Lili's idea of combat wasn't without its merits. "Depends on what you want to do, I guess. Pistol doesn't do much for you when you want better range than 75 meters." Zell replied to Lili. It was becoming more and more evident that to a certain extent, the gun was jut for show. It maybe helped for range, but Lili wasn't really a Marksman. Her talent seemed to lie in hitting things hard, one way or another.
If anyone was stupid enough to start a bar fight this could get incredibly messy, and not just in a figurative sense if Zell was right about how strong Lili would have to be to handle that Mateba as well as she did.
Great, now it felt like he was babysitting a frag grenade. He had to keep some other dumbass from pulling the pin. Suddenly, the relaxing drink to calm his nerves was seeming less and less relaxing.
Zell flagged down a waitress. The original purpose behind a beer seemed a moot point, but whiskey seemed like a bit much, so beer it was still. "Beer, whatever's pale and on tap." Zell ordered before glancing at Lili. He had a feeling she'd be lot and not know what to order. "I guess some fish and chips too." Might as well get something to eat while he was sitting down.
After ordering, he turned to Lili again. "So what about those decades old designs you mentioned? Any older gun models you like in particular?" Zell asked.
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Sept 14, 2016 12:27:57 GMT
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Post by Tulf on Jun 18, 2016 18:26:00 GMT
Lili continued to listen intently as Zell talked, though it was admittedly pretty hard to tell how much she was really paying attention – as he’d noted before, it tended to seem more like she was listening out of obligation or intent to impress him rather than out of genuine interest in the conversation. But, maybe that was much was a wonder in-of itself for Lili; who was used to most people keeping out of her way for… well, perhaps obvious reasons, but not so much for her. It was a bit cliché to colour oneself as someone who was avoided, and it was a bit untrue for Lili – she certainly had people care for her now and then. But, few really wanted to start a conversation with her… much less continue you. So, this situation was at least a novelty for her… ”That’s true. But given our work, more range isn’t usually that practical. It’s bad if you shoot people without asking.” replied Lili, spouting off what she’d been told with about as much care for the meaning behind her orders as one might expect. ”It’s a bit annoying, but… it’s not usually my work. I usually focus more on – admin work. Something like that.”The promise of a meal clearly made Lili pay attention, though; seeming fairly excited by the prospect all of a sudden – once more like a child; but at least more like an excited one rather than a curious one. Nodding with the order, the girl looked quite pleased for a moment before returning to her usual stoic look… no smile yet, though. ”I like fish…”It’d take a moment or two for Lili to remember the conversation again. She really was trying her best, but now she was a bit excited. ”Hrm… guns… um…” The little wolf was a bit baffled by the question, not used to anyone caring about this interest of hers – much less Arwen. Though, the sparse few other customers of the bar didn’t seem especially happy about having two old sorts talking about guns in the corner. ”Well… if we’re not talking pistols, then… I like the FN-FAL; it’s really something to have lasted so long even though it doesn’t seem so well known. The SA80 series look great with modifications and are really good examples of a successful bullpup design… I guess I should mention the MG42 or something or else I won’t be very patriotic, too.”
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Post by YammaY on Jun 21, 2016 23:56:40 GMT
Ask people before shooting them?
Zell cocked his head to the side and gave Lili a look of confusion. "I'm not sure who told you that, but I'll be blunt, it's a bad idea. Politeness can't control your trigger finger, only good judgement." Zell stated in response to her odd statement that he needed to ask first. "It sounds to me like someone was trying to guide your judgement without thinking of the danger that specific rule could become. After all, someone else holding a gun won't be asking if they can shoot you." Someone giving around that kind of rules or advice was simply... well, he couldn't judge it's application to Lili quite yet, but he doubted Lili could be so much of a loose cannon that applying a rule like that could be anything close to reasonable.
"There are three things that decide the victor of any fight. First is respective skill. Next is the speed of your attack. Finally you have range. If any of the two are equal, the third decides the fight. Never sell yourself short on any of them if humanly possible." Zell said. He wanted to go on a further lecture, but he didn't want to drag Lili back to reality any more than he had already. The friendship (should he call it that) could bode to be troublesome, that was much was certain if this was a good sample of Lili's personality.
Lili said she liked fish, so that was cue enough for him. "Make that two of each then." Zell amended in response to Lili's apparent enthusiasm about the fish. It was a starting point at least.
The Lili's Litany of guns were all solid choices as far as Zell was concerned. "Patriotism? Interesting. Germany tends to make a lot of good guns anyways." Zell replied to the small aside about the MG42. "Austria and Switzerland are also good about guns. Italian designs tend to be interesting and the quality tends to vary." He started wondering if he was getting too technical again. Maybe Lili just wasn't the right person to talk to about guns for him.
Eventually the waitress returned with the beer and remarked that the food would be out soon. "So, how do you toast, 'cheers'? 'Prosit'? 'Kanpai'?" Zell asked Lili, picking up his glass of beer.
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