I need to get my head straight!

[Felix Lucas]

Akito walked the short distance from the entrance of Briggs out to the shooting range. He was off watch duty, the weather was shockingly clear, and he needed something to do, something to think about after that attack on the fort. The first time he had actually needed to shoot someone. The thought still scared him; it was almost too easy to do, physically. Mentally, it was hard to cope with afterwards, but he hadn't really thought about what he was doing until he had done it, and then he had managed to do it again. Strange, then, that his idea of getting his mind off that unfortunate event was to go and shoot his rifle, the one that had taken lives for the first time. Setting up a target, he retreated to about 100 yards before kneeling in the snow and lining up a shot. Squeezing the trigger, the rifle fired, the gunshot resounding over the surrounding mountainside. Akito looked at the target through his binoculars, and discovered that he had hit the fourth ring. Sub-par, on a clear day like this with his own weapon.
"What the hell is wrong with me? I signed up for this, I crossed the damn country for this, and I can't even get over shooting some guys who would've shot me! I'm worthless, a sniper who can barely bring himself to pull the trigger, and an alchemist who can only work with rocks, and a pathetic fool who's never gonna finish what his dad started!"

[Iris]

"What the hell is wrong with me? I signed up for this, I crossed the damn country for this, and I can't even get over shooting some guys who would've shot me! I'm worthless, a sniper who can barely bring himself to pull the trigger, and an alchemist who can only work with rocks, and a pathetic fool who's never gonna finish what his dad started!"

That was what Iris had heard. The words of someone with low self esteem. She could relate and it was indeed a frustrating system indeed. She knew what it felt like to fear pulling a trigger, in fact she was a newbie, herself. She'd been in the military for not even a full three years yet and she was leading the defenses at Fort Briggs... somehow and lord KNEW how well she seemed to do that. She was terrible, the place was ablaze and nearly every one of her soldiers was killed. How ridiculous that was. Her eyes were sad for a moment. The distant pain on her face glowed in a sort of soft desperation. Sadness. How could she be such a failure?

She decided talking to this poor man was what she needed to do. Managing to make the distance close, she stood next to him and tapped his shoulder. "The key is knowing what you want." She whispered. Her eyes looking from him to the target. "Some shoot to kill, some shoot to scare. Either way, your hand will be precise when you, yourself know what you want." Her face lit up as she straightened and rested her rifle on her shoulders. Snow fell lightly as her eyes looked off. "At least, that's what I was told." Shrugging, she stepped back and stretched her legs a bit. "And what do I know? I have the worst eye at times(all the times)." Her hands guided the rifle down on her shoulder and she sought aim. As if to reinforce her point, she fired three shots, each missing the bull's eye by a long shot. A disgruntled frown on her face and a groan on her lips. "I mean.. at least I'll get some dancing entertainment, y'know?"

[Felix Lucas]

Akito turned, flicking the safety on his rifle's trigger on as he opened the bolt to make certain no shots were misfired. While it was nice of this woman to try and bring his spirits up, she had the wrong idea. "I know what I want to do right now. I want to hit the center of that target and show myself I still have it, after using my skill to take a life."

Akito politely stepped back as the lady took aim with her own gun, firing off three shots and hitting the target several rings out from the center with all of them. The Stoneblade Alchemist grinned. It's all in the breathing, you know. The sights are easy. It's the breathing that you need to focus on." Turning on his heel, Akito flicked the bolt back into place, loading the second round from the 5-round magazine. "You need to get your breathing steady, then stop in the middle of breathing out when you take a shot. Try it."

Akito took his own advice, breathing in a slow and steady rhythm, before cutting himself off in the middle of an exhale to line up the crosshairs in his scope, firing a bullet that hit only two rings off from the center. "Still need work if I'm going to stay on up here."

[Iris]

"I know what I want to do right now. I want to hit
the center of that target and show myself I still have it, after using
my skill to take a life. It's all in the breathing, you know. The sights are easy. It's the breathing that you need to focus on."

It was the breathing, huh? She couldn't tell him he was wrong. Maybe, he was right? It was hard to tell, after all she didn't like to breathe while shooting a gun. To know your breath could take that of another's? It seemed so.. wrong. Breathing was not what she wanted. When she fired, she held her breath and prayed, hoped that she didn't have to kill the person. Even the bastard Drahmans, they too had motives and reasons. Though some did not agree with the motivation of RIOTE, they had bills to pay, money to earn and mouths to feed. It was.. hard. To imagine the face in her eyes could have a wife and kids to tend to and what did she have? She wouldn't lose anything not anymore. Her only real friend that lived in Briggs was gone, leaving her with her crippled soldiers. They had fought valiantly, but now, they're bodies were in healing and she had escaped with minor burns wounds over her arms and legs. Nothing..

She had noting to lose and yet the hunger for life stirred in her veins like a hungry animal. Maws dripping with longing, staring down her very soul. Hesitation, was the enemy. A bird that flew out of reach and mocked the instinctive beast. Out of reach and yet, so close by. Breath was life-giving and at the same time- it was death-taking. The pink eyes of Iris fell downwards and her body quivered at the thought. Perhaps.. perhaps it was all a facade? The reason she had lived was sheer luck and utterly confused her. As she could feel an odd swirl in her stomach, she caught herself listening once more to the man. Gentle and fragile eyes meeting his, though quickly adjusted. She couldn't seem weak. Even if she was a broken being, she could seem in tact. This man, had a lot of moral after a loss. In a way, it eased her self-consciousness.

"You need to get your breathing steady, then stop in the middle of breathing out when you take a shot. Try it."

"Easier said than done." Iris murmured to him. Her eyes turning to watch the masterful aim of the man. Her fingers moved to plug her ears as the shot fired off. She jumped a bit in result, smiling at him. Her fingers pulled away and she clapped three times. "You're great at this." Of course it was average for a soldier to hit a target, but to Iris, who couldn't, she was amazed. A bright and rather peppy smile on her face as usual.

"Still need work if I'm going to stay on up here." Her immediate reaction was a bit of a giggle. Her eyes lit up and she looked at him kindly. "Ah, if you can shoot like that.. You've seen my aim. If I am somehow still alive, then you shouldn't have much trouble." A wink came through and she held up her pointer finger of her left hand. "Besides, we're all together on this. It's not like you're alone. Just don't drag us down and you'll do great. I promise you that."

[Felix Lucas]

"You're great at this."

Akito grinned a bit when he heard that. This person's spirits were infectious. Suddenly, though, the alchemist thought again of those Drachman soldiers that he had shot. The smile was gone. How could he be taking pleasure in wielding the weapon that had already taken lives from people who were just doing what they thought was right. Not to mention the fact that they had lost Briggs for a while, despite the best efforts of everyone. Hopefully the explosives that the Drachmans left behind were all cleaned up by now. That was another reason for the marksmanship practice. As much as he deplored killing, he had to be ready to do it again. He still had the throwing knives he had made on the mission on his person. They poked at his leg under his coat. The Stoneblade alchemist sighed, unloading the magazine with three shots left behind instead of readying the next round. He sighed before moving to thirty feet from the target and producing the first knife, which was slung into the target about two inches above the bulls-eye. Another knife was thrown as the wind picked up, and this one flew completely wide of the target, the obsidian shattering against a stone. Dammit.

Akito turned to the girl, producing his third and last knife and holding it by the blade, handle extended towards her and the whole weapon shining in the cold sunlight. "Thanks for trying to cheer me up. I'm Akito, by the way. Would you like to try?" Akito was still saddened by taking a life, but not as much now that he had seen someone else from the fort and actually gotten to talk, even just a little. He deplored his job in that moment, but, as the girl had said, he had a talent for it, and if he didn't do it, who would? He sighed again. I just don't know what I'm going to do. I hate being a sniper, but it's the only combat I can do up here. If I were in any other station, then I'd be more use, but all the stone here is underneath ice and snow. I need to find my own rocks up here, because I can't count on them being there when I need them."

[Iris]

For a fleeting second, the man was smiling. It did her heart good to know he felt.. happy for a minute, even though slight as it might have been. Her eyes closed and she basked, until a sudden shudder of depression followed and concern spoke to her. The invasion had gotten to him. Most people couldn't hold constitution well with the option of killing people. Iris certainly never envisioned herself as killing a man or more than one, even. On the other hand, it was saving so many more. Weighing choices was the only way to make it all better. After all, when one compared the lives of people she knew against a side that struck to kill them all. Really it was self-defense. Or s.. she convinced herself.

"I just don't know what I'm going to do. I hate being a sniper, but it's the only combat I can do up here. If I were in any other station, then I'd be more use, but all the stone here is underneath ice and snow. I need to find my own rocks up here, because I can't count on them being there when I need them." A blade was offered unto her. Iris looked down, eyes staring long as if the decision was a great one. Take the blade and throw or leave her fingers unsoiled by more violence? Such an odd thought process she had at times. Delicate fingers moved before she material. She scooped it up and made a balance. Turning her body to the to the target, pink eyes focused. The target in hand was simple rings that demonstrated life and death. After aiming and pointing, she let it fly from her wrist. It felt.. kind of good, as if tension flew from her fingertips. Throwing items was always an interesting feeling.

After the throw was done, she turned back to the man. Ear to ear, she was grinning. "I can see your problem there. To be honest, I'm not sure how or why I am stationed where I am either. As you saw, I have bad aim and during the mission I-I think I messed up bad." Her eyes fell. Shoulders dropped, she tried to calm herself. She felt terrible. "Oh well. Why don't we talk about something less depressing?"

(slight post error, edit made)

[Shula Brighton]

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