8182/How effective is archery

How effective is archery
Date of Scene:	09 October 2021
Location:	Happy Harbor High School - Outdoor Archery Range
Synopsis:	Dyani teaches Madison the basics of archery, and the two of them teach a mutant hater a lesson in humility. Check the internet for the video!
Cast of Characters:	Dyani Zitkala, Madison Evans

---

Dyani Zitkala has posed:
If there is one thing in this world that Dyani really and truly loved, it was bees... but another one of those things she loved was archery. Having started learning to use a bow from her father when she was on five years old, Dyani had taken to the sport like fish to water. By the time she was eight, she was competing locally against kids twice her age, and learning how to hunt using a bow rather than a gun.

When Madison showed an interesting in learning, Dyani had called home to her father and arranged for all her bows to be mailed to the school and now she had her entire collection, along with a wide variety of arrows. Most people believed that there were only a couple kinds of arrows, but Dyani's collection was living proof there were many.

The collection was laid out on the table under the over hang, along with the arrows. Dyani already had her personal bow in hand, and she might be oh, twenty minutes earlier than the agreed meeting time, but she wanted everything perfect. Once Madison joined her, she would need to try different kinds and types to find the bow that was perfect for her, so they were all there, nearly twenty different bows.

Madison Evans has posed:
    "Oh, gosh, I'm not late, am I?!" Madison says as she arrives at a jog, her hands holding to the straps of her Jedi Academy backpack. She'd picked up her pace as soon as she spotted Dyani already in place, with her array of bows. "Wow oh wow - you sure have a lot. These are all yours? Why do you need so many? This one's so much smaller than the others! Ooo... Did you decorate this one?" She's a bundle of energy today. Her t-shirt today is black and white - showing half of the New Republic symbol imposed against half of the Empire's symbol, with the words 'Choose wisely' written beneath.

Dyani Zitkala has posed:
Dyani giggles profusely and offers the Vana White arm gesture over the table. "You are not late, we wanted to be early to make sure we had everything we needed," she offers, then looks over the table again.

"These are all the bows we have used in our life, that one," she points to the small one. "It the one our human father first gave to us to learn archery, when we we were five or six."

For the first time every, Dyani is in a normal looking t-shirt, on the front is a collection of flowers and a few bees flying around. The words "Beeeee yourself!" appear above the flowers. The back had a stripe of velcro to seal it around the base of her wings, but other wise it looks perfectly normal. Her jeans look brand new, fitting comfortably and she sports a pair of tennis shoes.

"We used to compete before we changed, and we hunted with our father. Different kinds of bows for different jobs."

Madison Evans has posed:
    "I wanna see a picture of tiny Dyani with her tiny bow!" Madison gushes at the thought - grinning broadly at the thought. "What did you used to hunt? I mean - everyone always things bison, right? But I figure like... bunnies, maybe? Or some deer? Did you ever hunt for birds? Like... I dunno. Ducks, or geese, or... or roadrunners!" It's actually a small wonder she doesn't go 'meepmeep' after that statement, with the amount of energy she's showing. She does bounce up onto the tips of her toes, however.
    "Are jackalopes real? I mean, I never saw one in California. But all the weird stuff that's real in the world - why not jackalopes?"

Dyani Zitkala has posed:
Dyani is getting used to Madison's hyperactivity, at this point it just makes her smile as she manages to keep up with the questions. "We hunted rabbits, deer, ducks and geese, but of course most white people think we still wear buckskins and hunt buffalo and bison, and take scalps," she answers first, keeping her bow close to her. "Jackalopes are not real, they are made up, we asked our father specifically, he said they are fake, but with the world being so much more than originally thought, perhaps they are out there some place."

Stepping over to the trunk that the bows are stored in, she moves a few things around and finds a small album. Inside are the blue ribbons she has won in the past, we well as a picture of her each time with the trophy. The youngest is when she was seven and the trophy is nearly as big as she is. Apparently, she has always been tiny.

Madison Evans has posed:
    "O. M. G. - Dyani you were adorable!" Madison giggles as she flips through the photos. "This is great! It's so weird seeing you with like... dark hair, and normal eyes, but it's still you! The smiles the same. See?" She points at one of the pictures where Dyani is beaming with pride and excitement.
    "You know. Next summer - I'll visit you, and you can visit me in California - and we'll go hunting together! With bows! Deal?" She beams at her friend, then turns her attention expectantly to the array of bows.
    "...so what do I do?"

Dyani Zitkala has posed:
Dyani beams that same smile, not because she's being shown the book, but because that is just how she smiles. Taking the album back she sets it back in the case in the place it lives, then looks back to Madison.

"The first step is selecting a bow that /feels/ right," she says, then looks Madison over before selecting a bow off the table and offering it to her. "This one may work, or one similar. Compound bows are common these days, even in our tribe. The old style of bow and single string is usually only used for rites of passage and ceremonies now."

Looking over the arrows, she selects one with a blunt tip, then offers one to Madison.

"Notch your arrow like this," she demonstrates. "Then pull the string back slowly, see if it feel right or if it takes too much pull. You want there to be resistance when you draw the string, but not so much that you're struggling."

Madison Evans has posed:
    "I mean - not having done it before - how do I know what feels //right//?" Madison asks logically. Still, she follows the instructions - watching as Dyani knotches the arrow. She tries to mimic the other girl's stance - lifting the bow, and pulling it back. "You know," she muses. "If I use the Force to increase my strength - I could probably use a way more difficult bow than people would expect," she muses, as she stares down the length of her arrow.
    "Bows probably have the same rules as guns, yeah? Like - don't point 'em at people, basically."

Dyani Zitkala has posed:
Dyani nods with a giggle, "Yeah, unless you intend to shoot them that it. The proper resting position is like this," she demonstrates. The arrow is notched and ready, but there is no tension to the string and the arrow is aimed at the ground. "It is hard to know which bow is right until you actually start shooting, and we watch you. You probably could use a high-impact, strength compound bow if you use the Force, but first you need to be able to actually shoot the bow."

She watches Madison draw the string back, the way her arm moves. It may not be the correct stance for it, but she can still tell the bow's draw is too easy, so she picks up a different bow. "Try this one instead, we think it will be the exact one you can learn with."

Madison Evans has posed:
    "Well. I'd really rather not shoot someone - unless we invent arrows that turn into nets! And/or shock them! That would be pretty cool." She lowers the bow - giving the resting position a try, before she hands over the bow - but keeps the arrow. She accepts the new bow, notching the arrow onto the string, and drawing again. "That does feel a little different!" she agrees. "I look better now?" she asks curiously - not sure how Dyani could tell that the other bow wasn't right. "I guess I won't use the Force - not today. I mean, not until I get the feel for things..."

Dyani Zitkala has posed:
Again Dyani watches her draw the string and she nods, "Oh yes, that is much better," she confirms, then giggles because that's just what she does when she's happy. "They have all kinds of arrows Mads, not just those that kill. In fact, you can make non-lethal shots to stop someone from doing something you don't want them to do, and ensure you do not kill them. Our father made sure to teach us, just in case. Everyone thinks that we call our self Stinger because of the bees, but it is actually the nickname our father called us growing up... his 'Little Stinger'."

Once again she lifts the bow, aiming her blunted arrow toward the targets to demonstrate stance and aiming. "The challenge to archery is knowing how far to draw the string to achieve the strike you want. Aiming down the arrow, like the site on a gun, our father always said to hold your breath right before loosing the arrow to ensure you do not move. The target there," she gestures toward it once she looses the string and aims the arrow at the ground again. "See if you can aim the arrow at it, and strike it. It will not go into the target, but it is the starting point to learning. Truly a just dive in there and do it thing."

Madison Evans has posed:
    "I only ever see - you know - the pointy kind that sticks into people and are- you know. Like, suuuuuper dangerous. I wouldn't want to get hit by one of those!" Madison remarks.
    At the comment that her dad used to call her that since she was little, though, she gives her friend a curious look - careful to still keep the bow pointed away from her. "Huh. That's like... a really weird, really cool coincidence!" she remarks. "I don't have like a pseudoname or anything like that, though - not yet. Just Mads or Maddie."
    Looking back towards the target, she takes a deep breath in, sighting down the length of the arrow as she holds the shot steady. She draws the arrow back almost as far as it'll go, curious to see just how much force the bow can impart - before she looses the arrow.

Dyani Zitkala has posed:
Happy Harbor High School had a massive grounds, with forest on a couple of the edges. From the archery range, the equestrian grounds could be seen, as well at the football field with bleachers. It was on that field that a group of larger young men could be seen, tossing something back and forth between them. Could be a football, could be any kind of ball really. They seemed more interested in that until the spotted the two girls in the distance. They start pushing and prodding each other before they finally start walking toward Madison and Dyani.

Dyani is busy watching Madison's stance and firing, she doesn't notice anything else at first. Stepping over to Madison once the arrow is loosed, she physically adjusts her stance, then her arms, and offers her another arrow. "Alright, you saw what happened, where the arrow went from how far you pulled it back. Try again, using that information to adjust how far you draw."

Madison Evans has posed:
    Madison, of course, is focused on the bow, on the targets, on Dyani - she's not paying any attention to boys down in the field. "Oops," she remarks as she overshoots the target, letting out a quiet giggle at her error. She nods at the correction, though, trying to maintain the new posture.
    This is almost like training with Owari, after all. The ninja often corrects her stance when she practices with her boken. "Alright. Not so much this time, huh?" she confirms. She doesn't draw back quite so far the second time, taking another breath in, holding it, and... "I hit it!" she says excitedly. "I got it that time, Dyani!" It wasn't a bullseye or anything, but she'll take it!

Dyani Zitkala has posed:
Dyani shrieks in delight, her excitement causing her wings to flutter and lift her a few inches off the ground.

"See?! Get in and do it, that is how you learn! We knew you would hit the target," she states with enthusiasm. "Learning the draw to target is /key/ to shooting. No one can tell you this much or that much because it is all related to your strength and your vision."

Collecting another arrow she offers it to Madison. "This is a bullet arrow, they are used primarily for target shooting. This time, focus on aim for the center and..." she suddenly stops, head tilting. "... there is a group of boys coming toward us from the football field."

Even as she says this a large group of bees comes zipping from that direction to land around Dyani's shoulders.

Madison Evans has posed:
    "Maybe they're curious?" Madison suggests, looking from Dyani, to the bees, and then out towards the field. She knotches the arrow she was offered - though doing so takes her a moment of thought and attention. That sort of muscle memory will definitely take some time.
    Good natured to a fault - she calls over to the boys, "Do you want to learn archery too? Dyani's a really good teacher!" And then under her breath, "You don't mind, do you?"
    She may have gotten order of those questions wrong - but her heart was in the right place.

Dyani Zitkala has posed:
Dyani was keeping her eyes on Madison of course, but there were still bees watching the boys as they approached. She sends one in closer to hear their muttered conversation, but they immediately swat at it, so she orders it back to herself.

"If they want to learn," she comments, but there was this nagging at the back of her head. That cautiousness that being kidnapped had put into her, to watch carefully and be prepared. So while Madison may have her heart in the right place, Dyani has her own in self preservation and protecting.

Reaching to the table, she picks up the quiver of blunt arrows and slings it into place on her back. It hangs in a way that it is above the wings, almost sideways, but with enough tilt to keep the arrows in the quiver.

All six of the boys start laughing as Madison calls to them. Now that they are closer, the lettermen jackets from another high school in New York becomes clear.

"Sure," one calls back with a snarky tone. "We can learn 'archery' from the little mutie!"

Madison Evans has posed:
    "Actually - she's a Native American, and you're walking on her land," Madison counters, her welcoming cheer immediately chilling to something far more reserved. She turns fully to face the boys, the bow still in her hand, but aimed towards the ground in front of her. "So I think you really should try that again, or just keep walking." She adds a nod of her chin further along - and away from where the two girls currently stand.
    Under her breath, she adds towards Dyani, "I mean, I know your people aren't from around here but- It's the principal, you know?"

Dyani Zitkala has posed:
In any other situation, Dyani would laugh at that. Technically speaking, /all/ of America was her people's, but this was just a technicality. One blunted arrow get notched in the bow she's been holding, she knows exactly how to use that non-lethal arrow to the fullest.

Looking the six over intently, she sizes up their possible abilities. High School, lettermen in football, one looked like a line backer so likely was, which meant he wouldn't be too agile, just strong. The others were runners, perhaps a quarterback, she didn't know what all the symbols on the jackets meant, only that they were lettered in football.

Calling out something in Navajo, just to add to Madison's claim, she then says very quietly in English. "What is a mutie?" The gaps in this girl's knowledge...

"Ooooo, you're so scary," the biggest one calls out, just a few yard between them and the girls now. "I should come up there and shut your mouth for you."

At this time one of the guys starts to look uneasy, and says something quietly to the other, which gets him shoved sideways.

"Man up Duncan," the one who shoved him says. "It's just a little girl and a mutie, if you're part of the team you're part of the team!."

Duncan looks back toward the girls, his expression reads, 'Run now.' before he just starts to walk away from the entire situation.

Madison Evans has posed:
    With her voice still low, Madison explains, "It's an insulting way of saying mutant. Like- calling a hispanic a wetback, or if someone called you an injun." Which, of course, she'd never do. That's just not on.
    "Oh hey - one of you has a lick of sense. Thanks for visiting Happy Harbor!" she calls after Duncan. But she doesn't run - she's a Jedi. And this is her school. "Now - I really think you owe my friend an apology. We have a no bullying policy, you see."
    She's only got the one blunted arrow loaded - but she's ready to shoot it at one of these jokers, as she draws on that strength inside her she identifies as the 'Force.' Sure she said she wasn't going to use it today - but things change.

Dyani Zitkala has posed:
Duncan may not realize it, but he is getting an escort off the school grounds. A few of the bees zip after him, watching his every move and if he turns back, Dyani will immediately know. Her own eyes are the largest of the group, watching his movements and body language. He really does believe he has all that somethin, somethin to be tough, just because he's large.

"Aim for the head, windpipe or eyes," she offers quietly, starting to draw the string back a little and lifts the arrow to begin taking aim. She she calls out more loudly, "How will you explain to your coach that you got your butts kicked by two little girls at Happy Harbor, because we assure you, that is what is going to happen if you keep approaching."

The arrow aiming had one more pausing, he mutters something which makes the other pause, except the large guy. "I'm not apologizing to no mutie and her pet human," the large one says. "Maybe we just want to talk? Find out exactly what gives you the right to be breathing, mutie."

Did this kid never read what mutants were capable of or was he just so incredibly stupid that he honestly believed this was a good idea. "Uh, Gary..." another says, the group now close enough that any shot taken would be easy, but the others had paused letting Gary continue on alone. "You may want to rethink... they have weapons."

"Chicken shits!" Gary bellows. "They're nothing! Come on, this is what we came for!"

Madison Evans has posed:
    Madison can feel her anger rising up in here at the boy's words. What gives her the right to keep //breathing//? "The fact that she has more humanity in her than you do, jerk," she counters. "And yet //you// still have the right to keep breathing. We don't welcome hate here." Hate. Anger leads to hate. Hate leads to suffering.
    Beware the Dark Side, Madison Evans. This is how it gets you.
    She takes a deep breath in, letting it out slowly along with most of that anger, as she tries to calm herself. Never call on the Force in anger. "I'm warning you, if you take another step-" Which, of course, he does. She practically dared him to.
    She brings her bow up in a smooth motion, pulling back on the string - and lets it loose, allowing the Force to guide her shot. Dyani said to aim for his head - she said the blunted arrow wouldn't kill. It wouldn't. Would it, she worries, as she watches it strike true.

Dyani Zitkala has posed:
With Madison taking her shot, Dyani decides to back her up. Having years of practice, she lets one blunted arrow fly into the boys gonads, the next arrow is pulled, notched, string drawn and released in the blink of the eye she was shooting at. Both arrows, like Madison's, hit their mark. Just as Dyani promised, not a single arrow draws blood. There will be bruises and there is pain, but nothing that could kill the guy.

The arrow to the head hurts like a mother trucker, but the one to the gonads, to a male, was worse, and even as he was dropping to his knees, he's shot in the eye by a third arrow. Normally one night expect some sort of the sympathy from friends, but poor Gary, what he gets is laughed at by the other four who were smart enough to stop. In fact, one of them had pulled out his cell phone to record what was happening.

"I told you," Dyani calls out, even as she notches and aims a third arrow. She shifts herself to that Madison can grab another arrow from the quiver on her back if she wants to. "Now you have to explain your coach how you got a black eye and cannot walk because two girls beat you up."

Madison Evans has posed:
    Madison doesn't reach for Dyani's arrow - instead she has her own demonstration in mind. She looses her hand from the string and reaches out towards the table where the other arrows rest - and a few rise up into the air, floating to rest above Madison as she gestures them closer - and they come to rest above her as her arm is lifted up, palm towards the boys. The threat is obvious, when she lowers her hand, the arrows'll fly. "Things aren't ever what they seem at Happy Harbor," she remarks. "The Force is my ally, and a powerful ally it is. You //will// apologize to my friend Dyani, and then move along." She tries to impel them to follow the command - even though that never seems to work. She never does give up trying, though.
    Honestly, she probably should have tried that earlier. Oops. Next time.

Dyani Zitkala has posed:
The other four guys scatter to get away from the arrows, still laughing at their friend on the ground.

"Hey, hey," one of them calls and points to Gary on the ground holding his balls. "He's the one who said it!"

The one with the phone chooses to take the arrow because he's convinced this is nobel prize winning footage. "Ow! Hey, shoot Gary, he's the moron!"

Dyani keeps the arrow ready, watching Gary rolling around on the ground. He's not crying, he took it like a man at least, but he is in pain. "Get your friend and leave!" she commands, not attempting any powers of course, merely showing that despite her size and appearance, she can be commanding. "And do not come back, or next time we will use the sharp arrows!"

Madison Evans has posed:
    Madison continues to hold her arm up - the threat still hovering above her. She's not sure if she could throw them with enough force to make the arrows cause much harm - but on the off chance that she can, she has no intention of actually flinging them at the boys. The threat is entirely a bluff. "Apologize first - //then// go," Madison insists. "And remember we won't tolerate your hate here. Mutant rights are human rights, jerks."

Dyani Zitkala has posed:
Three of the boys moves to help Gary get to his feet, the fourth calls out, "If you can get Gary to apologize for anything, you'll be the first."

Gary is up on his feet between two of the guys, using them for support and glaring at Dyani. Madison hit him in the head, but it was that little winged brat that went for the family jewels.

Once he's on his feet again, Dyani pulls the bow string back to hold the arrow ready, waiting to see if the large boy will actually apologize. She honestly didn't care if he did, in her mind he just needed to leave with his friends.

"No way mutie," Gary growls and Madison can feel the two holding him up roll their eyes.

"Dude, you got a problem," one mutters then looks to Madison. "Fine, we're sorry. Gary's got issues."

"Shut up!" Gary growls and tries to do something to the guy, but since he was being held up by the guy, that one just lets go and Gary goes down again, taking the other with him.

The fifth remains back filming it all, missing nothing, as if his life depended on catching every moment of Gary's stupidity. "Very believable that you're a moron Gary," he calls with a laugh. "No acting required."

Madison Evans has posed:
    "Gary does have issues," Maddie agrees. "You know what Master Yoda says. Fear leads to anger. Anger leads to hate. Hate leads to suffering. Let go of your hate, dude." She gestures forwards with her arm - but the lets the arrows she'd been holding aloft imbed themselves in the grass - halfway between herself and the boys. "And you don't need to fear us, either. We like making new friends - and I stand up for all my friends, when people try to cut them down."
    She glances over towards Dyani, flashing her a broad smile. "Wasn't bad for my third shot, huh?"

Dyani Zitkala has posed:
Dyani keeps that arrow at the ready, watching still as they regather Gary back up, who is now bitching at his own 'friends' about not helping him. "You used the Force," she comments with a slight giggle, eyes sparkling. "It was perfect."

Once they have Gary back on his feet, they start 'urging' him away, even as he bitches and complains, and maybe throws out another mutie or two, but he doesn't look back. The last guy, the one with the camera, slowly pans back to the two girls, just as Dyani is lowering the arrow and releasing the tension from the bow.

"Those were good shots," he calls toward them, then he offs the phone and jogs after the others.

"We feel... set up," Dyani says quietly to Madison, again sending a few bees to escort the collection. She suspected that Gary would try to come back if his friends didn't keep him moving away. "We think the other's planned this in some way."

Madison Evans has posed:
    "You think they were trying to humiliate their friend Gary?" Madison asks in an uncertain voice. "I mean, it seems like they set //him// up more than us." She moves to where the arrows are imbedded into the grass, and she pulls them loose easily, carrying them back to the table to put them where she found them. "I hope we didn't accidentally come across at the bullies on that video," she says in an uncertain tone - before flashing Dyani a broad smile. "You really are a great shot, you know. Wow! And how long's it been since you really practiced with that thing?"

Dyani Zitkala has posed:
Dyani flies over to collect the three blunted arrows that hit Gary, slides them back into the quiver on her back, then flies back to Madison. "A week before our change," she offers, setting the quiver back on the table. "We had competed in a state archery competition. After our change, we could not see correctly to keep practicing."

She starts arranging things on the the table again, taking the arrows Madison retrieved to clean and look over, making sure of their state before adding them back to the collection.

"Once we got the visoggles," she still called them that. "We started practicing with aiming again, by throwing things into hoops or the garbage, and when we got to Happy Harbor, we had our bow and started practicing again.... but that is still three years without practice."

Once she has things in order, she looks back to the direction the boys went. "It was obvious Gary wanted to cause trouble Mads," she then says. "We did not look like bullies, we looked like two small girls protecting themselves from a much larger, stupider, person... but yes, I think his friends were trying to teach him a lesson."

Madison Evans has posed:
    "Well. ...maybe he learned. But the way he was talking when he left..." Madison kinda doubts it. "Oh!" She adds, "I, umm - you know I didn't mean the 'injun' thing - right? That was just an example. I never use a mean word like that..." She doubts Dyani took any offense - if she had, she certainly hadn't shown it - still, there's some stuff it's better to be sure about.

Dyani Zitkala has posed:
Dyani offers a /huge/ smile, then uses the flat of one hand to tap against her lips in the stereotypical 'Indian' war dance style of dancing, the other hand she holds up to pretend to be a feather in her hair, then she starts laughing and pats Madison on the shoulder.

"We knew you were not being insulting. You were explaining," she offers with that huge smile. "We know that you respect our culture, even if you do not fully understand or know all of it. We do not think you would ever intentionally be insulting."

Looking at her watch, she frowns a little and sighs, then start putting the bows back into the case. "We will have to practice again soon, but it is getting late and we have to get back to the dorm before last rounds. Rules suck."

Madison Evans has posed:
    Madison can't help but grin a little as Dyani mocks the stereotypical 'injun' image. "Rules seriously suck. But my mom gets worried if I'm not back home, too." She tries to help Dyani with the clean-up - gathering up some of the bows and offering them over one at a time to be packed away. "We'll do this again soon," she promises. "And I'll even tell you about the black eyed children that smelled like animals and had blood on their faces!"
    Well. Basically she just told her about them, really...

Dyani Zitkala has posed:
Dyani pauses, head tilting before she grins and just can't resist saying, "We made a black eyed football player tonight, does that count?"

The bows are put into their own cases before going into the larger case, the arrows all go back into quivers that are fitted into the lid, then when it is all repacked, she closes the lid and locks it, spinning the combination lock.

"We come out to the range every day at six o'clock, because we know we need to practice. You are welcome to come out with us any time," she offers, then lifts up the handle on the case and the wheels pop out for easy hauling. "The more you practice, the better you get, then we can teach you night shooting and trick shots."

Madison Evans has posed:
    "I'll be here!" Madison promises with a grin. "I'll bring Irie sometimes, when she's not - you know - saving the world or whatever." She watches the Dyani with her case for a moment - part of her wondering if she should walk Dyani back to her dorm but- nah. She's //The Stinger//. Irie'd been practically awed by her. She'd be fine.
    "See you tomorrow, Dyani!" she adds brightly - dashing off to retrieve her bike.