15705/Firearms 101: Introduction

Firearms 101: Introduction
Date of Scene:	25 August 2023
Location:	Downtown - New Troy
Synopsis:	Rick and Crush have a heart to heart about faces worn and faces wanted; Fleece is a bit of a Golden Retriever!
Cast of Characters:	Richard Stadler, Xiomara Rojas

---

Richard Stadler has posed:
     They may have looked an odd pair on the hyperloop, the punk, chain-belted alien and the rather prim, suited school teacher sitting across, but it was a quick journey; If there was one thing the Hyperloop did, it was make New York, Gotham, and Metropolis almost one single metropolitan area. And after they got off the hyperloop station, there wasn't exactly a long walk down to New Troy and to Downtown.

It was susprising to see a gunshop here outside of Suicide Slum, under a ten story prewar apartment block, but the fact that the MPD was just a few blocks away as the map Googles was probably a big reason for it. More surprising was the sign over the door. 'Fleece's Firearms!' it said... complete with the exclamation point. Underneath it listed a plethora of services; Gunsmithing, Ammunition, Range Rental, along with the standard phone number and website every business had to have... and the less standard licensing numbers.

Stadler took point, of course, moving to the door itself, and opening it, holding it open for Crush as a gesture of politeness. "I don't think we'll have a lot of problems here, but... well. Just let me know if you feel uncomfortable." He says.

Xiomara Rojas has posed:
The Hyperloop was one of those things that Crush loved. Sometimes she would board the train, sit down and just let it go round and round while she read a book. There was something comforting about how fast it went, she couldn't explain it even if she wanted to, and she did not. Riding with Richard today was no different save she had no book with her and was was people watching instead.

Having been to Metropolis a few times, to visit Superman at the Hall of Justice, she tended not to wander much beyond where she was specifically going. On this trip it was to New Troy, and though her legs were longer that Richard's she kept his pace while keeping her eye out for anyone stupid enough to even be thinking about trying something.

At the store she first looked up at the apartment block, then slowly back down to read the signs in the windows. Instantly she shoved her hands into the pockets of her vest, the first sign of being uncomfortable already showing. "I ain't worry about problems," she stated bluntly. "No one's stupid enough to mess with me, I look too much like my sperm donor and around here... they know him /real/ well." She leaves it at that, not mentioning the uncomfortable due to it being a minor thing at this point.

Richard Stadler has posed:
     Stadler kept his own vigil for the short walk, but... not much of one. This was downtown, after all. The superheroes were close by, the cops were close by, and Superman probably heard everything within a 2 kilometer radius of the hall. It wasn't /Gotham/, after all. Still, it may have been because the walk was short and... well, he did know someone nearby who owned a gun store.

The loud electronic 'DEE-DOO' sounded twice as they would pass through the door, and, in part, it wasn't too different from any other gun shop you would walk through; there were counters that displayed pistols, knives, and accessories, the walls covered in a mix of shotguns, AR-patterened assault rifles, and hunting rifles of all shapes and sizes, racks covered in hunting gear, plate carriers, and tactical vests.

...Though, most gunshops probably don't have the poster with 'LGBTQ' surrounded in a heart in rainbow colors. Or have valuable wall space with at least 4 shelves of manga and anime DVDs... and from the looks of them, imported. The was another poster, on the opposite wall, vintage looking, extoling in woodland camo to 'BE ALL THAT YOU CAN BE'.

This and others were quickly noticed as Rick invited Crush through. "Oh, no, I... didn't mean anyone would mess with you. Just that I don't want to force you anything. It's your choice to be here, and I admit my friend can be a bit-

"OH!" Comes the voice from behind the counter, and it does look like the woman it belongs to would have really preferred to vault over it, and settles instead to rush around to the gate at the end, and barrel towards the door. She's smaller of frame, jeans, a pink t-shirt, sneakers, and an oversized jacket giving a bit of a youthful apperance to a face that looks like it's in their mid-thiries. The smile she carries is wide, natural and pretty much permanent, moving all the way up to brown eyes that peer through large, round glasses at the newcomers.

"B- Err, Stadler! Rick! Sir- err, not sir. Rick!" She says, going in for a quick, tight hug that Stalder begrudingly takes in a manner long-sufffering. "I'm glad you decided to come over for a visit- OH, you're the person that he mentioned was coming!" She immediately switches over to Crush, thrusting out her hand in greeting! "Hi! I'm Kari! Kari Fleece, and you must, umm... Crush?" She says, quickly looking over to Rick for a nod of confirmation."

Xiomara Rojas has posed:
Upon entering the store Crush performed the once over with her eyes. This was a process by which she took in everything around her, including the obvious means of getting out of the place such as back door, windows, etc. If needed, she could always go through a wall, but she liked to know the less destructive ways out as well. Her eyes linger for quite a while in the LGBTQ+ poster, there mere presence of which causes one brow to raise before she moves on to the rest of the shop.

She was just settling her eyes on the woman behind the counter when perky exploded all over the place and game right at them. In spite of her own discomfort she did not fail to notice how Kari had troubles deciding what to call Richard, but she barely had time to think on that before a hand was being thrust at her.

"Uh... yeah, Crush is right," she states with a hint of nervousness to her tone. She eyes the hand before slowly removing her own from her pocket to shake it, then her hand goes right back into her jacket pocket.

Richard Stadler has posed:
     The hand offered is gripped by not one, but /both/ hands, clasped and shaken twice vigorously before being released and her quickly turning around and beckoning them over to the counter itself. "C'mon!" She says, and once more she seems to resist the urge to vault back with the restraint of someone whose broken a glass cabinet or three doing the same thing. Given the speed at which she travels, she's skidded to a stop likely before Crush and Richard reach it. Rick himself seems to be a bit more stern at the moment, his arms crossed, peering just a bit toward the perky proprietor as the latter gives the counter a little smack with her hands. "It's great to meet you, Crush!" She says, leaning forward. "Now, now, err.. Rick here, he's told me you're looking to be a security guard, and you need training and certification, and a firearm and I can help with /all/ that. I got my NRA Certification for Firearms Instruction in New York, don't you worry, and we have a range out back but first, /first/ you need to tell me what kinda pistol you're looking for, and if you don't have one in mind, it's okay, I know /lots/ of ones that would be useful for superheroines!" She does not seem to realize how much energy she's approaching with, and how the stern look Richard is giving has turned into a straight up concerned frown.

Xiomara Rojas has posed:
Madison had been excitable and cheerful before she returned to California, this woman was pure, unadulterated perky, chipper, twinkly, and so many other words that say burst of energy with a smile. Crush was having a very difficult time not just bolting for the door as in her head Kari was being seen in a cheerleaders outfit and carrying pom-poms, and everyone knew Crush loathed cheerleaders.

"That... was a lot... of words," she replies when Kari finally stop speaking, and she is forced to look at Richard a moment to get the pom-poms out her head. It's then she notices the attitude change in the man, which is enough to center the Czarnian.

"I'm required to know how to dismantle, clean and reconstruct a handgun, as well as handle one properly. I got no idea what kind of guns there are, never needed one before and still don't need one, it's just a requirement for the job."

Richard Stadler has posed:
     Fleece has seemingly decided to burn rather brightly at the moment, so that smile only reduces a bit when she's called out for her motor mouth, and the fact that it's just a requirement for a job. "Oh... well! Still, it's important to learn all that anyway! But I bet you don't need one though, with... umm.. I mean what kinda..." She trails off, looks over to Rick, whose still glaring, and clears her throat. "Well! I still have a lot of good ones that you can try, and I be I can find a good one for you!" She says, turning around to the wall, and moving to open a case. "I think I've got one that's just you're-

"No."

Fleece freezes at the single clipped word from Rick, one that is an authoritative, full stop type. She turns back with a bit more of a fake smile. "Oh? Is there-"

"No, Fleece. We talked about this on the phone." He says, in a tone of contained patience. "You keep the Kimber's back there. Crush is not made of money. /I/ am not made of money. /No/, no-" He says, as the woman opens her mouth to object. "/You/ are not made of money, and you're not going to get by with that goddamn gift talk again. What we talked about." He says, his arms still folded.

The woman sulks and pouts, and even does that with joie de vivre, turning to reach at the bottom of the counter, and coming out with a a plastic case. latches undone, opening it to reveal a handgun, polymer, with two magazines.

"Glock 17. Gen 5." She says, looking at Rick almost in challenge... who seems to gracefully concede the point. "Latest version." She notes, taking the pistol out of the case, racheting back the slide to show the empty chamber and magwell to Crush, before clacking the slide back forward and offering it grip first to Crush. "Striker fired, safety built into the trigger, so it's simple to use; Nine millimeter!" She gains a bit of energy there, at least, coming out with a box of ammunition and shaking it 'enticingly.'

Xiomara Rojas has posed:
So many fucking words spilling out of Kari's mouth and all Crush can do is feel assaulted by words and kindness. It would all be a huge deal if the Czarnian wasn't watching Richard and how he reacts. She had just decided that perhaps it was something in their friendship when Richard not only stated 'No' like a command, but followed that up by swearing. Richard Stadler /never/ swore, in fact he was so against it he had managed to get her to stop swearing around him... for the most part.

For one moment Crush completely forgets why she's in the store as her red eyes go wide and she stares at Richard like an octopus just leapt from his face and attached itself to a wall. That is not the teacher she has known for a year, that is not the man she has come to consider a friend and mentor. In that moment she realized that there was still a great deal she didn't know about him, and whatever his past was, it mattered.

"Wait..." she finally says, removing her hand from her pocket and holding it up. "I got no clue what a Kimber is, or a Glock, or any of that shit... but if I'm gonna learn how to handle a gun properly, I'm gonna need some of that excitement you seem ta have Kari."

She glances from Kari back to Richard for a moment, as if challenging him to say something else. She didn't know the relationship between the two but to the Czarnian, the man was asking this woman for a favor and then being a rude asshole.

"Show me everything," she then said as she looks back to Kari. "Get me excited about guns."

Richard Stadler has posed:
     Rick swore. He knew he did, but there were certainly between two worlds for him, at the look of things. The look Crush gives him makes him a bit conscious about what he said. He looks embarrassed, and away, for a long moment, taking a deep breath. "Look, it's.." He starts.

But what Crush said next took Stadler by surprise. He doesn't say something, but perhaps that was because, out of all he anticipated, he didn't expect things to go this way. There was still a frown on his face, trying to see where this request for excitement was going, but Kari's face seemed to be willing to generate endless amounts of it... and when Crush asked her to show her everything, the grin and amount of energy built up seemed to lead toward vibration.

"Wait-" Rick says, but there was absolutely nothing he could say that would stop it. Fleece /slammed/ her hands onto the country, leaned forward, her smile wide, cheery and perhaps a little unhinged as she practically yelled out.

"BUT THERE'S SO MUCH TO SHOW YOU!"

There's a whirlwind as she dashes, both back to the counter and then around, collecting three cases, one of which she had to hold briefly in her teeth as she slams them down on the glass, opening them one after the other.

"Fabrique Nationale Herstal! FN Five-seveN! That's a capital F and a Capital N and the end! uses the same ammunition the P90 uses! Straight up /cuts/ through Class 2 body armor and anything that isn't plated! Futuristic! Ammo so expensive it's a /fashion statement!"

Another case. "Kimber! The number one name in 1911s, the champ that won /TWO/," She says, holding up two fingers for emphasis. "World Wars! Made by the Man, the Myth, the Legend John Moses Browning, and don't you say /anything/, Rick, you have a Hi-Power! 8 rounds, two tone wood and nickel finish, and if you want STOPPING POWER/, this'll do it!

A third case, this one in a matte desert brown, the voice lowering conspiratorially but no less loud. "Sig Sauer. P320, but we know it as the M17. /Active/ duty military. High speed, tactical, plenty of accessories, and as close to an operator as you're going to get without a Mark 23."

Rick is simply standing in the back, eyes closed, looking to be actively controlling his breathing.

Xiomara Rojas has posed:
This was something Crush would never be able to explain to another living being. She had stated she knew nothing about guns, and that in all honesty she didn't care, but when she watched and listened to someone else who held so much excitement and love for them, it allowed her to briefly /feel/ that emotion. Empathy on a whole different level, or at least that's what Crush believed.

While Kari presented the guns, a smile crept onto Crush's face, but her red eyes watched Richard intently then finally went to looking at the weapons. Each one got a full once over, as if she knew what she was looking at or for, but then Kari announces that Richard /had/ a gun.

"Hi-Power... that some kinda gun?" she asks, but Kari is still bringing another gun so she waits. There was a nagging at the back of her mind, an itch that started the minute she watched Richard attempting to deal with Kari, and how they interacted. It was something she would have to address later however.

"Okay, so... these look like some really nice guns, think I seen that one," the Kimber is pointed to. "in the movies and honestly..." she chuckles a little darkly. "I like the look of that thing."

Richard Stadler has posed:
     Looking to Richard at that point shows that, if Fleece had forgotten that she had made the point in a whirlwind of information, Stadler had definitely heard it, his body still, and his lips pursed, still trying to control his breathing. His mouth opens briefly at her question, but it seems that it's swept aside with the excitement of another weapon Fleece is bringing out, and it seems he was content to hope that the statement would be forgotten as well. Not that it was his only worry at the moment.

Fleece quickly moves her hand to the two cases on the left and right of the Kimber itself, smacking them shut in a way that accentuated her choice. "Oooh, now that's a lovely one!" She says, as she carefully removes it from it's case, and performing the same ritual, pulling back the slide to show it's empty and clear, before letting it go forward with a resounding *clack* and then offering it to Crush. "Stallone uses one, I know that! But this is good, full sized forty-five Ae-Cee-Pee- I think you'll appreciate that- and shiny chrome, lightweight, single action hammer, and it'll stop anything that it needs to! If you need more than 7 rounds, I'd be /surprised/." She says, beaming. "Maybe not as... tactical as some of the others, but this let's you really /connect/ with the weapon!" And no mention of price at the moment. Certainly enthusaism leads to sales.

"Or." And Stadler had decided to put in some sort of fight. He's walking over to the very first lone, forgotten weapon, tapping the Glock 17 in it's case. "Same pistol used by every cop and security guard you'll see. Cheap ammunition. And reliable, I'm told. That's all you'll need." He notes.

Xiomara Rojas has posed:
Now that the weapons were all laid out, and Kari had moved to explaining all about the Kimber, Crush lets out this soft snort laugh. Most of what the woman said about the gun goes right over the Czarnian's head, but she accepts the hilt when it's offered. Strangely she seems to know exactly how to hold a gun, her finger not going anywhere near the trigger as she turns it over once or twice then sets it down.

"Truth... I don't need a gun to stop people in their tracks," she states to Kari, before then looking to Richard. "I just gotta have one for the job, and if I'm going it, I wanna do it right. How about for now... we stick with the Glock 17 so I'm learnin' the right weapon for police and security work, then later I'll come back and you can teach me all about that shiney beauty? That sound like a plan?"

Richard Stadler has posed:
     Rick's own eyes were on her handling of the weapon itself (it was the important part, after all) and there was an approving look at the way she kept her finger off the trigger and the barrel away from anything dangerous. Fleece herself still doesn't look very happy about not giving the poor Kimber a home, but there's still a smile on her face as she nods, and snaps the case on the Kimber shut, and, reaching under the counter, coming out with an adhesive label and a Skilcraft pen. It's adhered on the case, and 'For Crush <3' is written on the label itself, before she lifts it up to show it being stowed under a particular part of the counter. 'That sounds just peachy! It's yours when you want it, right here under the counter!" She says,

Rick, himself, is breathing a sigh of relief as some sort of sanity has prevailed. Privately he must be hoping for that plan to spend money on a /second/ gun. "Great. Now that we've made a sensible choice, suppose we move to some familiarization out on the range there?" He says, his head inclining to the door at the back, leading to what looks like a larger room.

He's backed away from the weapon for the moment itself. It's an indication that it's Crush's responsibility to pick up, but he does motion to Fleece. "We may want to add a hip holster, too."

Xiomara Rojas has posed:
The mental notes would remain in Crush's mind even as they moved on to the next part of all this. She wasn't one to forget things, or to let things slide, but right now there were more important matters at hand.

"Gotta manual on field striping and cleaning?" she asks, checking the chamber for a bullet like Kari had then laying the gun back on the counter. "Ain't that the proper way of things? Learn how to treat the weapon before learning to fire it? I mean I'm all for going some place and opening up on targets, just want to make sure this is all going the way it should."

She finally offers Richard one of her half grin, half smirks. "Hip holster? You mean like wild west crap? Next I'll get a ten gallon hat."

Richard Stadler has posed:
     Fleece is rather quick to gather the nessecary gear, hopping off to some other box to pull out the preferred piece of kit. Sadly, the hope of something distinctly wild west is dashed; the holster itself is more hardened polymer than supple brown leather, and admittedly looks closer to the waist than a gunslinger would have worn.

She swings by to slap it down, and then moves to a closer area, moving to slap a manual down on the counter as well. "Practice makes perfect!" She says, grinning, At least Stadler nods to that (as well as the proper clearing of the weapon. "You're generally correct; it is good to understand the weapon you plan on using. But you also have a bit of a time crunch on you, so I think it might be best if you and... Kari here get started on seeing how you might fire the weapon." He notes.

Fleece grabs some ammunition, and starts for a door at the back- only to stop and turn around. "Whoops!" She says, juggling the 4 boxes she holds to reach under the counter and grab another weapons case. "All right, follow me!" She says, hopping off towards the selfsame door.

Rick gestures for Crush to take the lead. "And apologies on the holster. Most of the... 'cowboys' I've seen I generally don't trust with a weapon."

Xiomara Rojas has posed:
Collecting the holster from the counter, Crush looks it over with that same smirky grin while Kari is still gathering things. She shrugs a little with another chuckle, "Don't gotta be western, fact this looks much more slick," she comments before nudging Obelus to move a little so she can attach the holster to her belt. If Richard is watching he will actually see the thick chain move and shift higher on her waist to make room.

Grabbing the gun off the counter when Kari heads toward the door. "Hey, need help carrying those?" She then asks, completely unable to stop herself from attempting to be helpful. There was a time she would have just ignored the plight of the juggling boxes.

Richard Stadler has posed:
     "Nope! Nope, I got it!" Fleece says. Her wobble and juggling shows that she might have it quite a bit less than she let's on, but nevertheless manages to juggle it all and open the door leading back; from this angle, though, a large window to the side showed where they were heading.

The range itself wasn't the largest; a few lanes with a section in front that certainly couldn't be more than 40 or 50 meters; the red brick around showed it was most likely the rest of the first floor of the building. Sound proofing covered a lot of it, as well as sand-bagged backstops in the rear. It certainly wasn't going to do for long range shooting, but for closer quarters, it certainly would prove effective.

"How it looks is... secondary." Rick said, as Fleece moved to the center two lanes, plopping down the ammunition on the left, and the spare case on the right. Opening showed another Glock, this one with scratched paint and marks of the well-worn. The clearing of it was quick, proficient, and prefunctionary.

"Too many people buy these as either status symbols; they want it to look shiny, expensive, or like every YouTube video they've seen on the subject. I'm not saying there isn't room for a little of that, but safety and effectiveness are firmly above it."

Fleece gives a little wave, gesturing to the lane next to her. "C'mon- oh, we'll be /safe/." She says to Rick's sidelong glare. Perhaps a little insulted!

Xiomara Rojas has posed:
The appearance of the room really meant nothing to Crush, she'd only ever seen shooting ranges in movies, and even then it was maybe one movie. Glancing over to Richard, a thought pops into her head and she just barely manages to keep herself from grinning.

"Hey Mr. S, why don't you join us?" she asks lightly as she heads toward the place Kari indicated. "We can all have some fun shooting at things over there."

Glancing then to the gun Kari was indicating, she shrugged a little, "I don't think how it looks matters so long as it does the job. I get some people want to go all gangster with the look, but looks aren't everything."

Richard Stadler has posed:
     "Oh, no, that's-" Says Kari.

"Oh, I don't really shoot a lot." says Rick.

Kari's looking over to Rick with a slight bit of uncertainty, The answers from both of them were quick and uniform, and it didn't take a genius to tell it was a pre-arranged one.

Stadler clears his throat. "This is primarily a... training activity, Crush, and I wouldn't want to distract Kari here." He says, and Kari nods vigorously. "Right! And like, the guns are... I mean I'd have to walk back to the.. umm.. counter, and I... umm.. well. Yep!" She says, the incredibly lame excuse studiously ignored by the bespecled man next to her.

"Why don't we.. ahh.. Kari. Loading a magazine?" Rick says, to which Kari jumps. "Right, yes!" She says, fumbling for a magazine, and then a box of ammunition. "So, so you take it like this," The box is opened, and a few rounds are plucked out, before she presses one in with her thumb, and then another. "Just... both magazines you have there! With ten rounds to start."

Kari seems to be following Rick's lead, and both seem to be hoping that Crush will simply move along from the request with them. "That's a good way to look at it, though." Rick says. "Granted, there is a strong element of deterrence toward your use of the weapon, which is one reason to go with a Glock like this. It's recognized and respected for the hooligan who might eye the holster."

Xiomara Rojas has posed:
Confirmation achieved with a simple question, and if Richard looked at Crush's face he would now see that smirking smile. Kari and he had given away everything in a matter of seconds, now what that everything was she still wasn't entirely certain, but what she did know... he knew a lot more about guns that he was letting on.

As they continued to back and forth she watched them, one finger tracing along the chain around her waist. She was in fact attempting to decide if she should say something now. She needed the lessons, but the lie hung in the air like a fog and it was seeping into her skin.

"I call bullshit," she finally says, and lays the Glock on the counter of the booth. There is an expression of determination on her face, one Richard has seen many times. "You can't honestly believe I'm stupid enough not put shit together Mr. S... so, how about we try the truth first, and then continue the lessons?"

Richard Stadler has posed:
     Fleece does look uncertain, of course. Not that she seemed incapable of making a decision here, but it clearly wasn't her choice to make. She's looking at Stadler, who has his arms folded, regarding Crush with something of a calculating look past his glasses. There's a moment of silence that streches out for what seems to be longer than that, before Stadler points down. at Crush's weapon.

"Crush. Ms. Fleece instructed you to load ten rounds, into two magazines. That is what you will need to do. This is not a fun day at the range. This is not a discussion of my experience with firearms. This is a training exercise."

He's silent for a moment more, a stern look on his face before continuing. "However, I know how you are. I can give you no ultimatum that wouldn't have you walking out of here, back to the hyperloop. You want the truth? I own a firearm. I purchased it for self-defense when I went to Ann Arbor in the 90's. It is exceedingly close to Detroit, and Detroit is exceedingly close to a failed state. Like most people, I don't walk around Metropolis with a former student of mine like some spy, and I want to focus on /your/ training, not how well I might be with a handgun. If it will satisfy you, however, I'll fire a few rounds to help demonstrate. Is that agreeable?"

Xiomara Rojas has posed:
Something flickers in Crush's eyes, a moment of almost red that is pushed down rather quickly. When it came to Richard, he was one of the very few people on the planet who could successfully tell her to do something and have it not come back at him like a freight train.

Listening to him tell her to follow Kari's instructions, her head tilts slightly before she reaches over and picks up the empty magazine and some of the bullets. Her eyes remain on him the whole time she is thumbing the bullets in place, while her mind is turning over what he said. She felt some truth in the words, but there was also some lies, something she couldn't put her finger on.

"You're the only person who could give me an ultimatum and not get punched for it," she says first, a hint of cold to her tone but nothing like the usual anger that would have shown. "I'll take your words for now, but that ain't there is. You don't need to shoot if you don't want to, but you ain't the same teacher I've known for a year... and no, I won't let that go any time soon."

Turning now, she looked back at Kari, the darkness in her eyes and the cold from her tone disappear as she says, "I do this right?" and she offers the woman the magazine.

Richard Stadler has posed:
     Despite the way the coldness of her tone fades as Crush asks her question, Kari doesn't seem to be more at ease. Her eyes look down briefly to the clip that Crush holds out, however, taking it, and briefly flipping it to check the holes at the back indicating load. "Ahh.. yeah. Yeah." She notes, and for the moment it seems like that exuberance has left her, as she looks past Crush, over to Rick.

And for his part, Rick still has that stern look on his face, a professional mask, that watched her as she had loaded the bullets into the magazine, one by one. His eyes didn't meet hers as much as hers his, flickering down a few moments to check on her technique.

"I... appreciate that." He says, briefly, when she mentions his exemption to getting punched. But her words next, that he 'ain't the same teacher', show a bit of a crack in that facade. And it certainly does look like he's... hurt by it.

"Well. That's that, then" He notes, moving to back away. "Kari's a capable trainer. I'll leave you in her hands. I'll... be outside, once you're done." He says, before turning to open the door and step out, a bit abruptly.

Kari seems a little less unsure, at least with the direction, before bringing up her hand and pointing, awkwardly. "So... umm... Do you know the... the four rules of gun safety?" She asks.

Xiomara Rojas has posed:
Once the magazine is approved by Kari, Crush's attention goes back to Richard. She saw the pain ripple across his face, she saw the brief failure of the profession mask, and it was like a dagger in her own chest. "Hold up," she says to Kari and immediately moves to follow Richard. "I gotta fix this."

He may not want her to follow, he may in fact not want to be around her again, but she had to find a way to fix what just happened. "Mr. S, wait up, please" she called, and in her tone is something he's never once heard from her before... regret.

Richard Stadler has posed:
     Fleece's relief is palpable as Crush decides to head after Richard instead of awkwardly answer gun safety questions. "Oh! Good luck!" She calls after her, as she heads toward the door.

Rick is already through the door by the time Crush goes through, before he hears her request, and the tone in her voice. He pauses, briefly, back to her for a moment, and, after a deep breath, brings up a hand to motion to her to follow him.

The journey isn't long; he's behind the counter for a moment, looking among the equipment there, before his hand slides under the counter, pulling a hand gun and magazine on display, to place them on the counter. It's large, with a checkered grip, the symbol inside and on the barrel indicating 'Beretta'.

"Crush. Can you tell me what the point of a firearm is?" He asks, looking back up at her.

Xiomara Rojas has posed:
"Self defense or the defense of others," Crush says without hesitation as she moves up to the counter, then she quickly adds, "But I don't give a shit about that right now. Listen..."

She takes a breath and charges right on whether he's listening or not, talking faster than she is known for speaking. "Every one has different faces they wear. It's part of what you humans do to protect yourselves from emotional and physical pain. You think I don't know about that sort of thing, but I do... I learned it at Happy Harbor. Just cause you got a different face than the teacher I know, doesn't mean I love ya any less... okay? I just..."

It was at this point that she realizes exactly what she said and Richard can see the embarrassment in the expression on her face, in the body language as she suddenly looks down at the gun on the counter and the slight shift of her body in that 'oh gosh what did I say' way.

Richard Stadler has posed:
     Stadler seems to look to say something, before she interrupts with a pleas to listen, and speaks faster than he had known her to, before. His head cocks slightly, quizzically at her speech, but at the end of it, at the annoucement of love, he does smile. It's a small smile, a bit sad, but certainly warm, as he moves to bring a hand to her shoulder and squeeze. "Thank you, Crush... just... thank you. I.. can imagine, you might have more... experience with that than I thought." His hand moves from her shoulder, and he takes a long breath. "I don't... like students seeing that... that other face. It's... not something I want them... you. To see me as. It's a choice I made when I started teaching, and I.. just hope you don't have to see it more than you have to.

There's another breath after that, and a nod to himself, before looking up to Crush again, his hands adjusting the pistol slightly on the counter. "But... well. I suppose as long as we're here, I might as well the other face to teach. Thank you for the answer, but... no. No, it isn't." He notes. He's looking at her when his hands move to take the empty magazine, and slide it into the pistol's magazine well, before just as quickly pressing the release and removing the magazine... and then, with a few quick motions, pulling the slide forward and off the weapon.

"That's something the NRA says to act like these are noble, useful devices. More complicated answer is that this is a tool to enforce your will upon others through the threat or use of violence." The rod and spring are removed, quickly, before the barrel itself is removed. And with his eyes still on Crush, he starts moving in reverse.

"Short answer is that it's meant to kill someone. End someone's life. Wounding them is a side effect you can only sometimes plan for." The barrel is back in. Rod and spring, slide snapped back on, magazine inserted, and the empty pistol racked with a loud 'ka-klack' that almost seems to fill the room.

"Too many people forget that. Too many people use that Glock in the other room as a talisman of power, or a political statement. Too few recognize the power it gives them. I know something small about the power you have at your disposal, and I know you do recognize it. I ask that you treat the weapon as an extended aspect of the strength you already have, and exercise the same care and caution. Do you understand?"

Xiomara Rojas has posed:
After a few breaths to let herself accept she just spit that out, Crush finally does look back up at him. She let's him speak, just as he had let her, then at the hand on her shoulder she visibly relaxes. The thought of losing him as a teacher, mentor, perhaps friend... was the single most terrifying thing in her life in that moment. She knew the love she felt wasn't romantic, it was respect, and honor, and it made her stronger emotionally to have it, so to lose that... it would have destroyed her and she knew it.

When he switches gears, and corrects her mistake, her eyes move to watching his hands. In that moment she knew she had been right, that there was something more to this new face than 'got a gun for protection in Detroit'. His hands move with skill and precision, the very kind that takes years and years of practice. The movements were almost mesmerizing to watch. so confident and sure, without even looking the gun is taken apart and put back together.

When he is finished with the gun, and the question is asked, she blinks just once and nods. "It's not a toy, or a talisman, it's not for show or games," she offers. "I don't even really want to have a gun, and I never plan to use it cause I don't need it, but I will /always/ respect the weapon and use caution with it."

Richard Stadler has posed:
     Stadler continues to look at her as she offers the statement, before nodding. "Good." He says, moving to remove the magazine again, and place it and the pistol back under the counter. He adjusts it just slightly so it's angled again, like all the other ones on display (it certainly wouldn't do to have it mess up. "That's the big lesson I wanted to impart today, at least. 47 hours of training, I'm sure you'd pick it up, but, well... I just feel better knowing I told it to you." He gives another small smile. "I really do like being a teacher, you know."

With that, he turns around, looking over the pistols again, before reaching and grabbing another pistol; this one another Glock. He finds two magazines, and a box of ammunition that indicates '.40' instead of '9mm' that Fleece had come through with. The magazines are stowed in a pocket, the ammunition in another, but the pistol is held in a hand, the weapon quickly being cleared, the slide locked back afterward. "In that case, then, let's get on with the teaching. Please mind the door when you walk through. Fleece is most likely trying to catch bits of conversation from it."

Xiomara Rojas has posed:
"You're a great teacher," Crush offers without hesitation and with a great deal of sincerity. "I... wouldn't be where I am now if it weren't for you. I'd still be... locked behind walls." She couldn't think of another way to explain what it had been like before meeting him.

As he's putting away the gun, and collecting another, she walks over to the door and pauses. At the warning about Kari being on the other side, she can't stop herself from smacking the door hard enough to make a large 'bang' sound, but not damage or break it. "Problem solved," she offered before opening the door for him. "And Mr. S, try to remember, I'm not normal... well human normal, could be Czarnian normal but I don't know. You've always got an ally and friend here, for whatever you might need."

Richard Stadler has posed:
     "Don't sell yourself short, Crush." He says, during his weapon switch. "I'm glad to have guided you in the right direction, but I know that change, that drive to see from a new perspective, came from inside you. Just keep that in focus, and I think you'll do great at Columbia." A pause. "Though, not my first choice. At least it's not Michigan State... or Ohio. God." A little bit of levity that is only compounded by the sound of an 'eek!' and a thump of of a body hitting the floor. Stadler doesn't exactly look /pleased/ at it, but moves through the door to an irritated Fleece grumbling something about it being /her/ store they were in, you know!

"Oh, don't worry, Crush. I prefer my friends be weird. Normal is simply... overrated."