9860/Straight as an Arrow

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Straight as an Arrow
Date of Scene: 28 January 2022
Location: The Danger Room - Titan's Tower
Synopsis: Target practice in the Danger Room happens.
Cast of Characters: Roy Harper, Kian, Kate Bishop, Kaida Connolly, Irie West




Roy Harper has posed:
    Roy's a bit restless this evening.  He gets this way sometimes, especially when he really wants to get high.  So to keep his mind off of his addiction, he decides maybe some target practice is in order.  He's off-duty and out of uniform.  Tonight he is dressed in loose-fitting, comfortable bluejeans, a snug form-fitting camouflage tank top, and beat-up black leather combat boots.  He carries his bow and quiver with him.
    He has never been here in the Danger Room before and really isn't sure how it works.  As he enters, the computer senses his presence and all of the lights come on.  He peers around.  "…the fuck…"  He walks over to a panel and peers at it.  He's not a dumb guy, and is a techie and gadgeteer as well as an archer, but this tech is beyond the level he has operated before.  He presses some button on the control panel.  He gets some satisfying beeps that end in an irritating BLURP.  He frowns.  "…fuck…"  He tries again.  Beep.  Beep.  Beep.  Beep beep.  Beep beep beep.  Beep.  BLURP.  He sighs.

Kian has posed:
    The door slides open, revealing Kían with, of all things, a double-barreled crossbow and a birdwoman.  "Oh!  Kié, Roy, I hope we're not disturbing anything.  Kála and I wanted to practice the kórak… sorry, the crossbow.  My crossbow.  It's a traditional sport."
    Kála nods.  "Probably even older than qihár."  She doesn't explain what that is; she says it like it's something everyone should know universally.
    "I've gotten really rusty," Kían continues, "since I didn't have this for a year and a half."  He raises his crossbow; it's mostly white with sky-blue trim, can hold two bolts at once, and has a handle clearly fitted to a small three-fingered hand.  "What you have, I would call a tórak."

Kate Bishop has posed:
    Kate looks up from her biology homework as her t-comm beeps and then a message appears on the wall display.  Honestly Vic, Donna, and probably some others get the same message.  After flicking up the cameras for the Danger Room on her tablet she responds on a sub-channel that she has it and levers herself to her feet.
    She makes sure to snag her quiver and bow before ducking out of her room, tucking them on before fishing her tablet out again.  She keeps the feed on and open in a corner but starts to futz with the controls as she enters said elevator.
    In the Danger Room the lights dim and then fire back up and there is a very traditional looking target range with a variety of targets hovering mid air now.  Some small.  Some large.  Some very small for precision.  Others moving slowly back and forth in predictable patterns.  Some moving in random patterns.  Some varying their speeds.
    Did Roy hit the right sequence of beepy buttons on the control panel?  No.  Is Kate helping out as she heads down there and also messing with him and Kian?  Absolutely.

Roy Harper has posed:
    Roy offers a small smile and nod to Kian.  Seems he's a touch grumpy, but he likes the bird dude so he lightens up a bit.  "Hey, Kian."  He motions toward Kala with a flick of his chin.  "Who's your… friend?" he asks, not really sure what the relationship is and not wanting to make any assumptions.  "And no, you're not disturbing me at all.  I was just in the mood to do some shooting and I was trying to figure out this damned control pa…."
    Roy stops mid sentence as the lights dim and the targets appear.  "Oh.  Well maybe I got lucky and pressed the right buttons by accident?" he says dubiously.  That would be a really bizarre coincidence.

Kian has posed:
    "This is Kála; she's the coach of our qihár team back on my world.  I think it was best described as three-dimensional flying flag tag, or at least that's close enough," Kían explains.  "Terry opened a Rabbit Hole to my world so I could send some chocolate through, and she and my sister and brother decided it was a good chance to visit me here."  He glances at Kála, who looks perfectly innocent.  "Our clan has a reputation for always being there when crazy things happen, and they decided to put that to the test."
    As maturely as possible, Kála sticks her tongue out at Kian.
    For his part, Kían glances at the targets, both stationary and moving.  "This is close to the setup I usually use, but not quite it.  Who's on monitors today?  Someone might be playing with us."
    "If they are," Kála puts in, "I approve of their sensibilities."
    "You would."

Kate Bishop has posed:
    A small robotic spider, Kian is intimitely familiar with the type of robo-spider-drone, pulls itself up from behind one of the targets and settles in watching the three from across the way as the target slowly slides up, down, and then back up once more like a carnival ride for the drone.
    Someone is definitely playing with the three of them.  That someone is enjoying taking their time to get down to the Danger Room since things are well in hand and no one is beep booping the controls anymore.

Roy Harper has posed:
    With a slow, meandering gait Roy approaches Kian and Kala.  "Hey," he says to Kala.  "I'm Roy Harper.  Nice t'meet ya."  There's a bit of a tense aura that surrounds the teen, but he seems to be largely in control of it right now.  One who was both a keen observer and a student of human behavior might be able to sense that it threatens to overwhelm him should he drop his guard.
    With practiced ease he slings his quiver over his back like a backpack.  "Looks like someone wants us to shoot some shit," he says.  His keen eyes flick around at the various targets.  "Two gray immobile targets and a small purple flying target," he says like a pool player calling a complex shot.  The show-off loads three arrows into his bow and draws back.  As he draws, he isolates just his back muscles, barely even flexing his arm muscles.  It's an Olympic-perfect draw.  He counts a beat, another beat, and a beat.  Smooth release.  Don't pluck the string when you release!  Three shots dead on target, though he hits well off center on the moving target.

Kian has posed:
    Still somewhat out of practice, Kían takes aim on the stationary targets.  The first is a nearly perfect shot… but the second is wide right and ultimately clatters off the wall.  "Ai, qokh!"
    "Yeah, you are out of practice," Kála comments, doing her best to conceal a smirk."
    With a practiced move, Kían clips two bolts into the kórak.  "Fine, you're so smart, show me how it's done!"
    Much to Kían's chagrin, she does: perfect bullseye, and slightly high to the left but close to the center.
    "Not.  One.  Word," Kían grinds out, clearly not happy with being outshot.

Kate Bishop has posed:
    The struck targets light up, showing the zone hit, and little points drift up into the air like it is a video game.  Bip bip bip sparkle as they turn into nothing.
    Then above it all a scoreboard appears floating in the sky with Roy, Kian, and Kara's scores.
    Also as no one took the bait, the next time a few of the other moving targets rotate into view there are more of the mechanical looking spider drones.  Impossible to miss now.  All of them just watching Kian, Kara, and most definitely Roy.  Hitching rides on the targets.  A couple flick their front legs together.  Which look pretty sharp.

Roy Harper has posed:
    Roy cants his head slightly to one side, peering around the chamber.  "Are those… are those creepy spider things part of the program?" he inquires.  "God I hope so because if I have to fight spiders tonight I think I'm gonna lose my shit."  Out comes another arrow.  Nocked.  The young man seems a bit disturbed by the fact that the spiders seem to be multiplying.
    He lets fly an arrow at one of the creepy things, but it goes wide and misses the spider.  Luckily for Roy's pride the arrow sinks into a target that was passing behind the spider.  "I was… I was aiming for that target," he says, a little embarrassed.

Kaida Connolly has posed:
    There's another person coming to the danger room.  Unlike others, she doesn't do anything at anything other than a too fast rate.  Even as she arrives, a pretzel goes flying in first.  One of those big pretzels they sell in Central Park that is flying through the air and then mid-air caught and ran over to next to Roy, Kian and Kala.  The holder of said pretzel consumes a quarter of it wiht alacrity before looking about.
    "Didn't expect others to be in here!"  She chows down on another third of the remaining pretzel and then clears her throat as she then finishes it off with incredible speed.  She finally licks her tiny fingers before looking from one to the other and then at the targets.
    "OH!  Target practice!  Neat!"

Kian has posed:
    Kían takes the crossbow back from Kála and loads two more bolts.  "Oh, Gods… those look like spiders I've already dealt with before."  He looks up towards the ceiling.  "Whoever's programming this, stop it!"  He takes a shot, misses, and tosses the crossbow to Kála, who also misses, but not by as much.
    And then Kían reaches out with his powers, and one of the spiders just plain old explodes.  "That's a lot more sure," he says grumpily.

Irie West has posed:
    There's a streak of yellow and Irie is suddenly here!  Huzzah!  Now the party can begin!  "Hiya guys!" she chirps.  "Doing archery?  Can I try?  I've never shot a bow before.  Or a thingie," she says, gesturing to Kian's double crossbow.  "That looks wicked cool, though."

Kate Bishop has posed:
    The target that Roy shot fades out with a pop and the score drifts up to the scoreboard like a video game.
    Heck the one Kian blows up, spider that is, also has a score that ascends skywards.
    Kate strolls in at about the point that Kian loses his patience and blows one of her spiders up.  The timing would have been perfect but Irie is faster than her and zips in first and asks about bows.  Speedsters.  So fast.
    She is holding her tablet and looking amused.  "I mean… if I was a jerk I would claim it was archerboy messing with random buttons on the controls Kian but…."  She shrugs and taps the tablet.  The spiders skitter, not out of view.  Not fading but leaping from target to target approaching the people who are engaged in shooting the targets.
    "I like the spiders, they are patterned off one of the Titans' first missions after we all got back together and reformed the team.  Also it is something Kian doesn't mind blowing up.  You afraid of them?" that is for Roy.

Roy Harper has posed:
    Tablet girl wanders in.  Roy has no idea who she is.  Something about this entire situation is clearly grinding on Roy a bit, he's not at all the normally social person he typically is.  His gaze shifts to Kate then to the field of targets.  Before he ever even heard of Oliver Queen, Roy was trained as a boy on lands of the Navajo Nation on not only how to craft one's own bow but how to become spiritually one with it.  Then he was adopted by one of the greatest archery heroes of all time.  Kid can shoot.
    He clenches his jaw, frowning and fires five arrows, one after the other after the other in rapid succession.  Four of them slice through spiders before the the fifth is even fired.  Imagine how badass he would look if that fifth one hit too, but unfortunately it goes wide and misses, breaking against the wall of the Danger Room.  That missed shot doesn't do much for his sour mood.

Kaida Connolly has posed:
    Chewing the last of her pretzel slowly with puffy cheeks filled with pretzel, Kaida watches the interactions of those around her and glances finally at Roy and his angry shootin'.  She looks at the last air impacting the wall and swallows before pointing at it and striking a pose.
    "Take that, wall!"  She nods and nods to Roy before she looks over and waves.  "Hi, Kate!"  And then she casually saunters toward the arrow that Roy missed with before she is suddenly rushing up the wall, grabbing the arrow with a heave and pulling it free before she rushes back to in front of the targets and starts hefting the arrow like a spear, testing its weight.

Kian has posed:
    "Aw, I didn't get a shot at one!" Kála complains, earning a glare from Kían.
    "These qokh spiders are the first things I had to use my rhy'thar on when I came to this world.  No, the second.  The first ones I had to go after twice," he says, definitely not happily.  He raises an eyebrow at Kate when she wanders in.  "Oh, they're your fault," he says, although with a smirk rather than a scowl.

Irie West has posed:
    "It's okay, Roy," Irie says consolingly.  "That wall got what it had coming to it."  The lack of response to her request to try to shoot things garners something of a pout though.  "Oh well," she says.  "It's probably better that I don't.  Wouldn't want to show you all up with my amazing archery skills."  When Kate enters she turns to her and gives her a cheery wave.  "Hi Kate!"

Kate Bishop has posed:
    Kate watches the archery in action with four out of five of the spiders nailed like that.  "Good shot Roy."  She seems to mean it, not just poking at the missed shot.  It was honestly a good sset of shots and cleared out all but one of the little spider drones that she had the room conjure.
    "Hey everyone, got an alert someone not checked out yet was trying to access the danger room so figured I would pop down and light it up for people to train in."  She seems unperturbed about Roy's anger.  "Hopefully didn't tilt anyone too bad with the spiders, I like to throw surprises into scenarios… since well you never know when bam demons or some shit around here."
    The tablet is tapped and the last spider fades out but the targets all remain including replacements.  New patterns though.
    "Good to meet you though Roy, I'm Hawkeye but you can call me Kate."  And if anyone knows anything about upper class money, she is definitely Kate Bishop.

Roy Harper has posed:
    "Hey, Kate," Roy murmurs quietly.  He's trying to edge down from the tension.  He's been having a rough night and he thought he was coming down here for some quiet shooting and the next thing he knew there's a hundred people and moving targets and attacking spiders.  It just came all so quickly.  But none of that is anyone's fault, and he starts using mental calming exercises so he doesn't, you know, keep acting like a d-bag.  "Nice… nice t'meet ya."
    Then he turns his attention to Irie.  "Hey, Irie, you wanna try this?  I can adjust the draw and show you how to fire at a target."  He shrugs a little bit, suddenly self-conscious about himself.  Very un-Roy.  "I mean, if you… if you want."
    His gaze follows the energetic mouse around the room.  I mean, if that's not enough to loosen someone up and get them to maybe even crack a smile, nothing will help.

Kian has posed:
    Kían is about to say something when his T-Com goes off. "Ai, qokh… Kála!  We're scheduled to contact the homeworld now."
    "What, now?"
    Kían gives her a look.  No, A LOOK.  "Do you want to explain to the clan administrators why we're not there?  And, do you trust Shíri to speak for you without supervision?"
    Kála grabs Kían by the elbow, dragging him towards the door.  "Oh, would you look at the time, we have a scheduled contact with the homeworld!"
    And with that, both birds are gone.

Kaida Connolly has posed:
    There's a shifting of the arrow in her hand as she looks at the others before saying, "You're a really good shot, Roy!  I mean, I doubt I could hit anything with ranged attacks like that!"  She shakes her head and then she zips back to the entrance and then zips forward and throws the arrow like a spear.  She misses all the targets but the arrow does embed itself into the wall about an inch thanks to sheer momentum.  She then huffs and shakes her head.
    "See, nothin'!"  She then turns and smiles at Kate and then states, "Anyway, I'll let you all get back to it and I'm gonna go find a snacky shake."  She nods her head.  "I was gonna do some stuff but obviously you guys are having fun!  I'll do some stuff later!"  And with that she's heading out.

Irie West has posed:
    Irie breaks out into a huge grin.  "Sure!" she says to Roy.  "It'll be fun!  I'll be sure to miss a lot to make you look good."
    She watches Kaida javelin throw the arrow and lets out an "Ooooo!  Maybe you should practice those so you can have a ranged attack.  Ooh!  Maybe I should get myself some javelins, too!  Just get a big ole stack of them and PEW PEW PEW PEW!  See ya later, Kaida!"
    She turns back to Roy, "Okay.  String me up!"

Kate Bishop has posed:
    Kate tilts her head and looks at the throw and then where it hits, critically, not judgementally, and then looks back to Kaida.  "If you want to practice with javelins or aiming and throwing stuff, I'm happy to help run some training for it, Kaida.  I'm sure Donna would be too."  Making sure to get that in before the mouse Titan heads out to find more food.
    It is honestly remarkable how much she eats, bit like speedsters.  Speaking of which her attention turns to Irie then Roy.  "I'd love to compare techniques and practice sometime Roy… we have a lot in common it seems."  Though her bow does not look remotely normal.