fandomhigh | Leadership/Outdoorsmanship, Gun Range, Thursday Morning

Honor was already at the gun range when the students began filing in. Her principal guardsman, Andrew LaFollet, was two lanes down. Clad in protective eyewear, he stood with his feet shoulder-width apart, firing a flechette gun. For the moment, he seemed oblivious to the incoming rush of teenagers. Honor herself turned, removing her glasses and placing them next to the .45 caliber weapon on the counter.

"Good morning, everyone," she said with a slight smile. "Please make sure to sign in and then make your way over here."

She stood before several racks which had been set up, on which various firearms rested. Those familiar with firearms might have recognized the various .22 caliber pistols and rifles, flechette guns, as well as heavier weaponry, such as an MP5SD5, a P90, or an M16. Earplugs and eyewear were also available.

"Today, we're going to discuss firearms and firearm safety. For some of you, this is old hat; for others, this is new material. Given the serious nature of the weapons we'll be working with today, however, I expect full attention to detail." She leveled her gaze, making eye contact with each student. "Failure to do so will get you ejected from this session."

Satisfied that she had made her point, she launched into a lecture on gun safety rules. She then proceeded to take the time to demonstrate how each of the weapons operated; Andrew offered the demonstration on the operation of the flechette guns.

"You will get the opportunity to try each of the weapons. Please be aware of your environment, and your classmates. If you have any questions, please ask. Today, there is no such thing as a dumb question." She smirked. "Well, at least about the weaponry."

Honor then settled back and allowed the students to choose their weapons. She and Andrew kept a close eye on them, while making themselves available to answer questions as the students spent the allotted time practicing.

[OOC: ~~OCD threads coming -- please wait for them.~~ OCD threads up! Also, a zero tolerance rule is in effect: Have fun, but anyone horsing around will get kicked out of the workshop today, and might be assigned detention, depending on severity. If you *want* to get in trouble, drop me a line, and we'll take care of it. =) ]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

"Just a little nervous, that's all," Anders replied with a slight frown. "There's a huge difference between seeing these things in the movies and actually handling them. Never thought about that until I picked up the gun, but it's . . . a lot more real now. You can kill someone with one of these, and that kind of scares me."

"The idea here is to learn a comfort level." Honor picked up one of the .22 pistols and demonstrated a two-hand grip. "You want to respect them, and what they can do, but you don't want to be afraid of them." She loaded the chamber and fired off two rounds, the muzzle pointed toward the target. "It's the fear that will get you hurt."

Anders nodded, though he couldn't help flinching a little at the first shot. "It's not the gun that scares me," he said after a moment's consideration. "Just what I might have to do with one someday."

He took a deep breath and nodded at her. "I'll deal with that when . . . if . . . it ever comes up, though. I can learn to do this, I swear."

Honor nodded. "Take it as slowly as you need, Mister Anders; worry about the future when it gets here." She gave a slight smile. "And if you're still uncomfortable, you're welcome to unload and take a seat."

It was a tempting proposition, but Anders shook his head. "Not so uncomfortable I can't get over it," he said, and picked up the pistol. "Like Peter said, better to be prepared, right?"

"Boy Scout motto... even in my day." Honor smiled and clapped him on the shoulder gently. "Let me know if you need any help."

Anders returned the smile, more relaxed now. "I will. Thanks."

Turning his attention back to the gun, he took a few minutes to just get used to the feel of it in his hands. Flashes of the dreams came back to him, but he fought off the urge to unload the .22 and sit down.

"Right," he muttered, "here goes."

He double-checked to make sure all his safety gear was in place, then took aim and fired the first round, which to his surprise -- and pleasure -- struck only inches from the bullseye. By the time he'd emptied the chamber he actually had a genuine smile on his face. "I think I can actually do this."

Leadership/Outdoorsmanship, Gun Range, Thursday Morning

Re: Discussion

Re: Discussion

Re: Discussion

Re: Discussion

Re: Discussion

Re: Discussion

Re: Discussion