A Troubled Soldier 01

[theriflespiral]

I: Delivery to Elysium
Elysium-the-city was far larger than Natalia had first assumed. Not that this was a problem for her-- a day or two among the rooftops, and she would know this place as well as anyone who lived here.

For now, though, she was momentarily relying on a map she kept carefully tucked away, and an address on a box with a memorized order form (and countersign, and counter-countersign, easily handwaved).

Being a delivery girl was hardly a novel cover, but it was precisely because such things were ubiquitous that it was easy to slip into the role as she came around the service entrance. Add perhaps a touch of bitter expression at the cold-- she didn't even have to try for that one-- and things would, hopefully, work just fine.


II: Blames Her Tools (Vault)
Natalia, after spending the better part of a day hitting targets from as extreme a range as the Vault could afford, was now overhauling her rifle, first cleaning the inside of the barrel with a cloth and a cleaning rod, and then disassembling it, screw by painstaking screw.

The casings were drying on a separate cloth nearby, with the scent of soap and water, waiting for an oven to finish getting up to the proper temperature.

It took up an entire gunsmith's bench, between the disassembly and the casings waiting for annealing and rolling and fitting and loading, but there was something to it. A peace, in an artisan's craft.

She looked at the tool rack above her and clicked her tongue.

She would have to go hunting for that particular tool.

Okay. Smooth hair. Stand properly. Act like you're supposed to be here.

Time to go among the other workbenches. Or workshops, if she had to.


III: Wildcard
Bug Natalia because she looks suspicious or because you need something.

Comments

[newmemorywhodis]

"...You were here?" Link hadn't realised that someone else was using the space before he barged in, and started moving things around. But maybe he should have wondered harder about why there were already some targets set up in here...

Then he nods his head, and steps back - out away from any of the targets, out of the way from where she'll be striking.

But he definitely keeps a curious eye on her. How is she going to approach the course?

[theriflespiral]

"I was. I'd decided to clean weapon and hand-load cartridges before returning, so I shouldn't be surprised."

The course... was built for Link's particular technique, to be sure, but she considered the crates, and where the targets were, and began to formulate a plan.

She loaded the rest of the clip-- Clips! they still used damned clips for mass-produced rifles!-- and felt the ninth bullet barely restrained in the chamber. She slammed the bolt home.

She began from a standing position, rifle down. Closed her eyes. Let out a breath that steamed in the air. Opened her eyes. "Beginning operation."

She snap-raised the rifle, took the sight of the first high target that would be obscured by the crates. one.

While Natalia chambered the next round, she also enhanced her leg-- a brief exertion. Skidded to a halt behind the first crate, rifle already swung into position for prone fire. Sight. Aim. One of the low targets. Fire. Two

Chamber the next round while rising from prone to kneeling. She used the top of that crate to steady her shot. Fire. Three.

From kneeling to standing, now she used the stack of two crates for concealment and steady. Four. She bunched up and used a touch of enhancement to make the jump to the top of the stack of three crates, hitting the target she passed on the way in. Five.

Chamber, climb. Low angle, low-range shot, but she didn't need to adjust for it, she simply lowered it a little, opened fire, didn't stop. Six.

Highest point. Standing, seven. Kneeling, but more crouching for a jump than steadying her aim, which remained as steady as ever, eight.

The ninth, she knew, was directly behind her. She leapt, turned in the air in a somersault so she could turn around, and chambered as she did.

It was, to her, a beautiful, almost perfect moment as, as she'd calculated, the sights lined up at just the right time to confirm her final shot.

She landed on her feet and ejected her last casing. The gunsmoke wafted like icy mist. "Operation complete."

Natalia took a deep breath, and finally checked her accuracy. "As I said, not nearly so fast as you. ... Or quite as accurate."

True to her word, while she did hit all the targets, the hits were not quite as tight to the center as Link's. "That ninth, especially, was a bit wild."

[newmemorywhodis]

Not as fast, nor as accurate, no. But Link had an advantage she didn't; for him, in those moments where the entire world seemed to slow down, he could afford to take his time and line up his shots.

And she does as well - if not better - than Link might if he wasn't using that particular ability. He'd watched her close, taking note of her form and how she move with a soldier's eye.

"You're good," he says. "Like a Rito."

Give her the ability the fly, and she might give Tulin a run for his money.

[theriflespiral]

Natalia blinked for a second, then felt a slight pain as she realized that praise was genuine. The words come out in a bit of a rush. "I-- merely show the results of my own hard work."

Her voice and pace calmed. "I have never met a Rito, though if they value sharpshooting, I suppose--"

She paused, reviewing the races she knew to be native to Esthere, and tsked. "On second thought... perhaps it is better if I never meet one, here."

Not a fate she'd wish on many.

[newmemorywhodis]

"...No," Link says softly. "Rito are from home."

And right now, Link is - as far as he knows - the only one here from Hyrule. He wouldn't want anyone else to be here too. And certainly not one of the Rito.

He falls silent, for a moment. It's clear that Link's not one for talking much. But he does at least offer some explanation for what a Rito is.

"They're like...beastkin?" He says, naming the local people that's most similar. If a Rito was here, they'd most likely be mistaken for Beastkin. Like how Link gets mistaken for elf. "But birds."

[theriflespiral]

She nods. That's what she expected. Natalia starts to collect the various casings from where she ejected them as she continues to listen.

"Beastkin, but a bird...?" There were a few things she could think of that looked like that, actually. She turned her head this way and that, trying to figure out which image best suited Link's description. "Perhaps-- Or... No, I'm sure the image in my head does not match your memory."

"Nn..." She reached for one that got lodged somewhere presumably safe, but, even one of the little bastards getting away would mean an unintentional bad day for someone else later. "Did you learn that technique from them?"

[newmemorywhodis]

Link - long-practiced in the ways of picking up things scattered around on the ground - moves to help her collect the casings. Once they have them all collected, he brings them over. Presumably she wants to keep them?

But on the topic of where he learned that technique, Link shakes his head. No, he didn't learn it from the. Rito. He's...not sure he learned it from anyone, actually.

Or if he did, he doesn't remember it.

[theriflespiral]

The casings were still hot to the touch-- gunpowder does that-- but Natalia's hands are a little cold as Link hands them over.

"Thank you," she said, putting them in a leather pouch. "Those can roll underfoot to nasty result, so I try to be painstaking with them when I can."

This had the added benefit-- if you could afford to focus on it-- of keeping people from following the trail of your casings later. But that wasn't the concern here. "If you wouldn't mind, then, may I observe and we can take turns? I have a few clips left, and I want to make sure of my scope."

She tapped a spyglass-like object atop her rifle to indicate it.

If nothing else, another chance to observe that technique might reveal some insight, and talking with this one more might help her understand the Corsairs better.

[newmemorywhodis]

It does strike Link as a bit strange, to have a weapon that just...leaves random pieces of debris around. When Link shoots an arrow, he expects the remnants of it to be in his target. Not randomly scattered across the ground.

But Link doesn't comment on this. Instead he just nods - and moves to go through the course again.

Now that she's watching closely, she might notice that most of the time, Link moves normally. With skill and experience, yes - but nothing too far outside of the norm of what a highly trained person could accomplish.

But then there's just one moment, one single instant - when he jumps off the crates, and is falling through the air. There's a moment then, when he suddenly is moving very, very fast. It's in this one moment that he fires all his arrows - and hits every target once again.

And then the moment ends, and Link moves at normal speed once again.

[theriflespiral]

She cannot see the internal motions of Ether as he works, but she sees the blur, and connects it back to the previous one, and blinks as she comes to a conclusion. "-- There are few things going on there. Let me tell you what I saw."

She helps him collect the arrows while she talks. "First, it is a burst technique. Very quick, but it is only your hard work that keeps it from being exhausting. Second, I'm going to assume that doing it while falling is not, in fact, showing off, but necessary. That implies a component that being airborne gives it, but... What, I'm not sure. Third, you are performing the same motion as drawing and firing normally. The power of this technique is in the skill of the user, not in any form of guidance."

She pauses, and then says, "The surprising method, the strange requirement, the assumption of skill and accuracy. I do not know your name, but...

"If someone had presented me this, I would call it an assassination technique. Find an ambush point from above, lie in wait, let hand and arrow fall. Someone like that might have taught it to you.

"Of course, this is all just speculation. I'm hardly an expert on esoteric techniques."

[newmemorywhodis]

Of all the things Link was expecting, a thorough breakdown of his ability wasn't one of them. As she begins her theorising, he blinks, and pauses - and listens.

When she finishes, he's quiet for a moment.

"...Link," he says first. His name, since she didn't know it. "Not an assassination technique. No one taught me."

Well, unless he just doesn't remember being taught. But Link doesn't think he was. Who would have been his teacher? As far as he knows, there wasn't anyone who could have.

[theriflespiral]

"... As you say, then, Link. Regardless, I'm sure it has proven useful." And then, only adding to how awkward both of them are, she hastily adds, "Natalia Koutolika."

"I... Apologize, for offending you."

[newmemorywhodis]

"Not offended," Link says. Just because a few of her assumptions weren't quite on the mark, didn't mean he minded them. If anything, the sheer amount she'd been able to deduce was impressive.

Maybe Link shouldn't have tried to correct her.

Or maybe he just shouldn't have told her; words were never Link's strong suit. And for as much as she's been able to observe, she doesn't have all the facts about what Link can do.

Not yet, anyway.

"...You know melee weapons?" he asks.

[theriflespiral]

"I am well-versed in several," Natalia says, "Though I have mostly focused lately on sharpshooting. I could give you the list, or, I could go see what's available and pick one to my liking."

In truth, she hasn't used the long-spear or quarterstaff lately, and her pugil practice has been pretty rare so far; while she's confident in her ability in them, if it was for the highest level she would likely have to resort to the two-weapon short sword and knife style she'd been improvising. Still, she could give just about anything a go once she understood its spacing and principle.

[newmemorywhodis]

Link nods, and then walks over to the nearby rack of weapons. He doesn't ask for a list - she can pick whatever she likes from what's available.

Strangely though, Link does not choose to draw the weapon on his back; a Sword with a purple hilt shaped like two wings, a yellow gem embedded in the centre. He leaves this blade untouched, and instead picks a wooden club.

This is a demonstration, not a fight with an enemy. He doesn't want a weapon that would cause real damage.

[theriflespiral]

Of all things, she grabs the curved wooden blade, most like an officer's sabre or naval cutlass. She takes a moment to pace it, view it fully extended, turn and twist its motions in her hand. She hums. "It will do."

Then she selects a much shorter stick for her left hand in the same way... Before pausing and putting it back. "No. Not quite."

A free hand might be useful. Or she might be setting herself up for failure.

She handles it firmly, like the tool designed to sever someone from their life that it pretends to be, and keeps most of her profile behind the blade, turning her head to look Link in the eyes.

She salutes with the blade, returning easily to the guard position.

[newmemorywhodis]

Pulling his shield from his back, Link returns her salute with a nod. Shifts his feet into a ready stance, and faces her.

He makes no moves to attack her first. What he does do however, is watch her very closely. For what he wants to show her, getting the timing right is everything. But for that, he's going to need to learn how she moves.

He's going to need her to strike at him.

[theriflespiral]

Opponent is armed with a decently long sword and shield. You are armed with a cutlass, a shorter chopping weapon intended for use on the tight quarters of a ship's deck, and a free hand. As expected of sword and shield, they are likely about to attempt to beat or parry your weapon off-line and strike; therefore, the approach is...

The first few attempts are-- to Natalia-- obvious feints, intended to judge more carefully Link's spacing and what he considers a good place to use a shield bash.

When it becomes obvious that he's not going to rise to the bait-- that she'll have to commit-- she aims for a lunging mid-line strike that suddenly sinks down towards the thigh, aiming for-- if these were real blades-- a desperately nasty leg-cut.

[newmemorywhodis]

Link's shield is up, but he uses it solely to block and defend. In another place and time, another battle, he might choose a more aggressive approach.

As she makes her strike, he doesn't block at all - but still he doesn't return an attack. Instead he dodges, hopping one side to let her weapon slide past. And he watches - taking note of the movements that telegraph her attack, the distance she can strike, the speed with which she moves. And most importantly, he watches for the right moment within her movements - the moment that's the perfect time to strike back.

Next time, he'll be able to find that moment. So for now he remains on the defensive, waiting for that moment to come.

[theriflespiral]

Defensive! Trying to maintain better spacing for longer reach, Natalia mis-reads. But...

She pivots easier than Link can side-hop, and, instead of going for the forward leg, this time she charges in to full contact, using her empty hand to try and pull away his shield arm and her shorter reach to better defend against the counter-attack in close quarters. If she can get hold of the shield, she can get past it by controlling the shield-arm... Though it means her own awkward defense of her free hand and shoulders.

[newmemorywhodis]

Well, that's not what Link needs.

And he doesn't need to lose his shield either, so while she grabs at his shield, he pulls it back - while striking out with the club towards her free hand. Then he leaps back, practically somersaulting away until he can continue to circle around her at a distance.

At least he's seen her charge now. He's still learning how she fights, what he needs to watch for…

[theriflespiral]

The parry is difficult and awkward, trying to defeat the strike from his left with the wooden cutlass in her right hand. She has to interpose the 'blade' across the center line, and while she does manage it, she has to take two steps back to get properly back into stance.

Now she's feinting and striking more regularly, getting the measure of his spacing and trying to bait attacks. Thankfully, with her shorter reach, she has to be aggressive, or she knows damned well he'll just use his greater reach to slowly pick away at her.

[newmemorywhodis]

Turns out she's not quite right; he's not going to slowly pick away at her at all.

Because by this point, he's had a chance to get to know a bit about how she moves, how she fights. Not exceptionally well, but enough for what he needs. As she strikes, he continues to dodge and hop and avoid her strikes - until she makes one strike that she's repeated a few times now. And this time, Link manages to dodge at just the right moment.

And then suddenly, for just a moment he's moving impossibly fast.

It's just like what happened before, when he was falling through the air. But now he's on the ground, and it's with the club that he strikes. He lands an entire sequence of hits, all within what can't be more than seconds.

And then at the end he hops back. Pauses. And says: "See? Not for assassination."

[theriflespiral]

To her credit, she does manage to parry one, two, but by the third strike her cutlass just cannot keep up with the onslaught, and she hasn't the time to step back. The full force gets her at chest, back, shoulder...

"That's... My loss," Natalia says, not betraying any of the pain on her face. Still... "It's impressive. Using the moment of recovery on a missed strike to have the time to activate the technique... That would have been multiple deep cuts."

[newmemorywhodis]

There was a reason Link had chosen to fight with a club rather than a bladed weapon; he knew exactly how much damage he could do. And he hadn't hit at full strength - but neither had he completely pulled his punches. She was a warrior, like him; he wouldn't disrespect her by treating her like she couldn't handle a hit.

Now, he nods. Yes, with a bladed weapon - and against a true enemy - this particular technique could do some serious damage. Not only had he won battles with it, there had been times when it had turned around a fight entirely.

Then, he reaches into the small pack at his side, and pulls out a honeyed apple. He holds it out towards her. She might not be showing her pain on her face, but Link can make an educated guess regardless. And hey, food always makes him feel better.