2025-05-26: Training Day
- Log: 2025-05-26- Training Day
- Cast: Akane Shinjo, Rikka Takarada
- Where: OCU Firearms Training Facility
- OOC - IC Date: 0100-05-26
- Summary: Akane and Rikka get their first taste of using a personal firearm instead of a mecha-scale one, on the insistence of their higher-ups in the OCU.
<Pose Tracker> Akane Shinjo has posed.
The world is deescalating... but it isn't. Reality is stable... but there's always microfluctuations that seemingly lead to nothing. There's tensions between almost every bloc, NUNE or otherwise... but the overt shooting is at a minimum.
The uncertainty about the flow of violence has shifted its shape. For the first time in a long time -- since the era of ID-5, before the One Year War -- no one really knows what to expect.
Given 3G's institutional structure, this is the first time in a long time that a branch has had very few expert close-quarters combatants. Green inherited ID-5, and even Blue had Mamoru and Kaidou's ID Armor. Red... doesn't have much. Red doesn't have much period, but it especially doesn't have many people with close-quarters combat familiarity.
As such, the OCU has requested that Red personnel start some degree of personal safety training. Today, that means firearms.
Akane has been anxious about this for weeks. When she steps up to the firing line, her posture is all kinds of off -- hunched, not bracing her arm effectively with her other arm, essentially wineglass-gripping uselessly with her right hand. It's one thing to pilot the Kakuseijin, or even Galactron. Akane knows people have died when she's sortied; her experience in Tsutsujidai destroyed the naivete about what happens when you shoot at a battleship, and during Break the World, she most definitely did that in spades.
It's another thing to be holding a gun.
It's just the two of them in the range at the moment; this part of the training is just a basic familiarity check, and the range itself monitors basic 'do not shoot yourself'-level tasks.
"... This sucks," Akane mumbles, dark hair partially curtaining her face. She hasn't taken a shot yet.
<Pose Tracker> Rikka Takarada has posed.
It hasn't escaped Rikka's notice that 3G Red is missing a lot that the other branches have. It doesn't bother her - what the others have they've gained through many trials and the expertise they've accrued through them. 3G Red is new - and while they have a lot of talented people among them, they still have ways to go. Getting there means training - and training today, is firearms.
It's been a long time since Rikka last held a gun. Back then... her hands her shaking, and they shook it right out of them. She holstered it again without firing - at that point, it would've been more dangerous for her to have a gun in her hands than not.
That was many years ago now, though. She's older, and she's experienced things she never would've anticipated, then.
Rikka stands in the booth next to Akane's, close enough that they can see and hear each other but with a transparent, bullet-proof wall separating them for safety. She's wearing the necessary ear protection, and her hair is tied up to keep it out of her eyes.
"It does." Rikka agrees with a small smile. It'd be better if they didn't have to... but a part of her does agree with the reasoning. Better they be able to protect themselves and each other. She doesn't want to be left feeling helpless again.
Rikka breathes in, and out - and readies her gun. She still feels a little nervous about it... but she lets herself focus, imagines herself in the cockpit. It's different, at that level of remove - but it's still a weapon, however she intends to use it. That experience isn't new to her. She shifts to a more proper firing stance, then looks to the side over to Akane.
"...You'll want to adjust your hands a bit. The recoil's going to send your arm flying back like that. Like this - try to do what I do, okay?" Rikka advises. She takes aim, giving Akane time to observe - and then she fires, the bullet screaming down range.
It lands... a ways off from the mark where she was trying to aim, but she at least manages to hit the target. For her first real firing, that's an achievement.
<Pose Tracker> Akane Shinjo has posed.
Akane finds herself very grateful for talk-through earplugs. Hearing Rikka's voice steadies her just slightly. It's not a massive, instant effect or anything -- but it's enough to get her to straighten up a bit. She pulls her right hand away from her left for a few moments, pushing her hair out of her face and looking to Rikka briefly.
... She can see that cockpit-focus as it shows up. There's part of her that still finds that anxiety-inducing -- still worries about the things Rikka's lost, many of them for her sake or because of her stupid world. It's been easier to chase that kind of thinking away lately, though. If Rikka's found strength in those experiences instead of being crushed by them... that's something to celebrate, not fear.
Akane hears that her grip is bad -- and watches Rikka closely. The difference between a good grip and a bad one takes some close observation -- but Akane does have a keen eye. She can see where Rikka's hand is that hers isn't, and when she thinks about it, it's fairly obvious to her both why that's better and why she's doing it.
"... I'm kinda scared of getting a cut from the slide," Akane admits. She takes a few moments to shift her grip; it's a slow, careful process -- Akane is very nervous about getting this right -- and she has time to watch Rikka while she does.
... Akane still enjoys watching Rikka do any kind of precision task. It's enough to get her to lower her guard just a little as she watches her aim...
... She definitely jumps at the sound, even through ear protection. With a slightly nervous, chopped-off "Ahahaha --" she turns her attention downrange. "... Oh, that's pretty decent..."
The range helpfully reports, "Finish exhaling before firing." ... Akane's impressed it can tell.
"... All right, my turn," she says, pulling her thumb down away from the slide a bit more as she takes up a shooting posture. She keeps the critique that it gave Rikka in mind, too, slowly exhaling... and...
... she's off off. Even with laser tag and festival cork gun games, her aim's never been good with something she has to hold in her hand and shoot; she's at least on the paper but well outside the figure within it.
... She's not looking at that. She's busy having a bit of half-nervous, half-giddy laughter about the whole thing. "W-wow, it's, a-ahahahaha, that's really --" She stops herself, taking a breath. "... Whew... well, I think that's..."
The range helpfully reports, "Jerky trigger pull. Maintain consistent pressure. Stance too narrow."
Akane's cheeks puff out.
<Pose Tracker> Rikka Takarada has posed.
"I get that... Watch out for it - the position of your hands is important." Rikka replies, her tone reassuring. She watches Akane's grip shifting, and nods to herself, satisfied with the change.
And for her part - Rikka does wince a little herself at the sound. It's not the first gunshot she's ever heard, but the first time she's heard it so close. It doesn't seem to last long, though her hands do still sting a little from the force of it.
"It's a good start..." Rikka replies. Her expression is serious... but she is quietly pleased at Akane's compliment. The range issues a report, and Rikka listens. "Finish exhaling... okay."
She nods to herself, then looks toward Akane as she gets ready, taking note of the way she prepares herself. She braces herself as Akane fires, and -
...She's off. Well... it was her first time firing a gun. She listens to her half-nervous, half-giddy laughter, letting her work her way through it.
"How do you feel? Are you still good to keep going?" Rikka asks... and then pauses as the range offers Akane a report.
Rikka offers a sympathetic, sheepish laugh.
"It's okay. It was your first try - just adjust and try again." She offers.
It's not lost on her that a few years ago, her reaction might've been the same as Akane's... She has, indeed, taken strength from her experiences. They've changed her in many ways, for better or worse - but she'd like to think she's been able to make the best of them all.
<Pose Tracker> Akane Shinjo has posed.
Akane carefully activates the safety and sets her pistol down for a few moments. "I -- I just need a second," Akane admits, shutting her eyes and taking a deep breath in through her nose. Once she's done that she's a little less carried-along by the feeling, at least.
She looks to Rikka, saying, "I kinda want to see you go for a bit before I give it another shot. You're obviously a little better at it than I am." Something gnaws at the edge of her thoughts a bit -- something she needs a few moments to figure out how to word.
She looks down the range, finally looking at her shot. "... Oh, wow, yeah, I was seriously off..." Well, she thinks grimly, there's nowhere but up for this, really.
She finally finds the words after a little bit. "... How are you feeling about this?" she asks. "Both as Chief and, um... you know..." A little nervous energy finds its way into her feet, and then out of them with a few taps and back-and-forth movements. "... you know. A normal person, I guess?"
Even after the One Year War, Japan has never really developed much in the way of gun culture. There's a little more availability than in the pre-Universal Century era... but nothing has really made that an attractive option, and civilian ownership is still heavily regulated. (Tsutsujidai, of course, was never any different on this front.)
She decides to watch Rikka a little more deliberately this time, rather than get drawn into how good she looks; she definitely has things to learn from her.
<Pose Tracker> Rikka Takarada has posed.
"Alright." Rikka replies with a nod, as Akane admits that she needs a second. She doesn't blame her - it's a lot to handle. She waits, giving her the time she needs to calm down a little. And when Akane says she wants to see her go for a bit, Rikka nods again.
"Sure. Just let me know when you're comfortable to start again." She replies, then pauses for a moment, shaking her head. "I've held a gun once before, even if I never actually fired it... so, I do have at least a little more experience than you already."
She follows Akane's gaze downrange, toward her target... and she was, in fact, off.
"...You have to start somewhere, right?" Rikka replies sympathetically, with a shrug. She goes quiet, though, looking down for a moment as Akane asks how she feels.
...It's a good question. She hasn't thought about it, much, herself. She doesn't answer it just yet - she takes a moment to get herself into the firing stance again. Taking note of the range's automated advice, she watches her breathing - and fires again.
She's closer, this time. The advice helps.
"As Chief... I understand the need for me, of all people, to be able to defend myself. I've got people counting on me... I need to be able to look after myself, and you, and everyone... And I think it's best if the people under me are able to protect themselves, too." Rikka replies. She fires once more - adjusts, and fires again.
"As a person... I wish I didn't have to. It's heavy. It feels... wrong." She admits. "But... I can't look away from my responsibility."
<Pose Tracker> Akane Shinjo has posed.
Akane watches. Part of her had worried that this would be a solitary, workmanlike activity -- come in, empty a few magazines in awkward silence, leave. This conversation seems to be getting her at ease, bit by bit.
"I'll be good in a little bit," Akane affirms. The first time is the hardest. She takes a moment to remind herself of that -- that she knows what to expect now, at the very least. "And, ahahah... yeah... the only thing I've actually used like that was a taser." ... Rikka probably remembers this -- but only probably.
The range... actually has nothing to say about Rikka's posture at this point. She's adapting well -- everything else is probably going to come down to simple practice and eye training. The sort of thing that only comes with range time.
Akane collects herself again, looking ahead. "... Wow -- you're really getting the hang of this," she remarks, as she digests Rikka's answers. It's been a while since they've had this sort of challenge...
"... Yeah," Akane eventually agrees. "I think you're right. We do have to be able to handle this kind of stuff... if someone broke into one of our offices with only personnel from Red there, right now it'd be kinda..." ... She puts that thought aside. She's anxious about finishing the sentence.
It's her turn again. She breathes in, then out... slowly. She takes a few moments to really focus, and then --
Bang! Bang, bang!
... This time, she doesn't get overwhelmed by nervous energy, at least. Nor does she get huffy when the automated review reminds her to widen her stance. ... Her aim does improve, though -- and her grouping is actually fairly tight.
"... It's kinda a skill I'm scared to have," Akane admits, as she takes a few moments. The range cycles the default targets out, switching them for moving ones -- some slow, some fast. "I don't want things like this to be... easy, again, I guess." She closes her eyes again. "... But I'm happy to be here with you, instead of doing it alone." A smile creeps up onto her face, try as she might to remain melancholy. "We make a pretty good team, huh?"
<Pose Tracker> Rikka Takarada has posed.
Rikka nods as Akane says she'll be good in a little bit. That's good enough for her, she knows it can take a bit to wind down. With something like this, it's better to take it at the pace that's most comfortable for them.
She smiles, just a little. She does remember - but only vaguely, fuzzily.
"It's a pretty different experience..." She replies with a nod.
When she fires, she doesn't get any feedback - and this helps boost her confidence for the following shots. They get more and more on target.
"Thanks." Rikka replies with a small smile
And after Akane has had time to think about her answer... Rikka nods.
"...Yeah." She replies. Akane is anxious about finishing the sentence - so Rikka doesn't force her to. She knows the point she was approaching. "But, it'll get better."
She puts the safety on her own gun, setting it down carefully as Akane prepares herself. Akane fires again - and this time, she handles it better.
"Hey, nice." Rikka praises, and then nods. "...Yeah. It shouldn't be easy."
But she's happy to be here, doing it with her. Rikka offers her a smile.
"Me too. And, yeah, we really do." She agrees.
<Pose Tracker> Akane Shinjo has posed.
"... Yeah," Akane agrees. This is a little overwhelming for her -- lots of future (bad) possibilities to think about, lots of past (also bad) experiences to think about. Akane's heart is still racing, too -- and on top of that, the sound (even muffled) is kind of a lot.
As such, while she nods to Rikka again as they talk, she momentarily can't find her words.
... she does like praise though -- enough to find them again. "Thanks," she says, as she takes up her weapon again. She reloads, too; she wants to try going faster. She pushes her brown-black hair back with one hand, then brings it down to thumb the safety off -- shifts posture backward, and plants her feet a little firmer. She looks down at her hands -- and she can see she's slipping back into that cup-and-saucer grip again, can tell her elbow isn't in a solid position. Again, she adjusts.
She doesn't fire right away. "... okay. They're moving now," she murmurs, mostly to herself. That's fine.
"... I want to try this round first," she says, before going for it. ... she's developing quirks already; there's a consistency in the way she fires -- one shot, then two more rapidfire. (She's getting a sight picture, then getting confident enough in it to try twice more before reassessing in earnest.)
... her aim is still very much not good. This is going to be a long term project -- though the nature of the problem is going to take some time to diagnose, because she's not getting any more basic instruction either.
She does go until she has an empty magazine, though -- and sets it down, gently, gingerly, after a press check.
She turns to focus more completely on Rikka. "... Any ideas what you want to do after this? I think I'm ready to take a break, um, whenever you are. I kinda need to digest this a bit..."
<Pose Tracker> Rikka Takarada has posed.
Rikka gives Akane the time she needs. She doesn't push her, letting her recover. She knows it's a lot, right now. And when Akane does find her words to thank her, Rikka offers her a nod and a smile.
Rikka reloads, too, taking a moment to get herself ready again. She keeps a close eye on the targets - and watches as they start moving. It makes sense, that's an important part of the lesson, too.
Akane asks to go first, though, and Rikka nods.
"Alright." She replies, and watches. She takes note of the way she shoots - one shot, then two quick ones. Rikka nods to herself thoughtfully.
And once Akane's done, it's Rikka turns. She tracks the targets - and then she fires.
For Rikka's part, she's quick and precise - once she has a target, she tends not to lose it. Her actual aim still needs a bit more work, too... but that, alongside familiarity, is just part of the training process.
And then, after a check, she sets her weapon down, too, looking Akane's way.
"I think I'm ready, myself." She replies, offering her a nod. She could probably go a bit longer - but for Akane's sake, she feels like it's better to call it there. "As for what to do... Something a bit more relaxing might be nice."
<Pose Tracker> Akane Shinjo has posed.
Akane is delighted to get her ear protection off. It's not that she minds over-the-ear gear, obviously -- certainly she owns multiple pairs of over-the-ear headphones, even ignoring ones she and Rikka share (and has gotten Rikka her share of those, too, over the years...) -- but the atmosphere makes it more than a little oppressive.
Leaning against the divider between their booths, Akane composes herself. ... It's fine. She's actually a little impressed -- she's managed to shift over more fully to the part of her brain that finds Rikka doing precision tasks exciting, at least for now, which has made this a lot easier to digest.
"Hmm... maybe a bookstore run? This manga sequel I was waiting for finally came out as a full compiled volume..." She smiles, managing to pull herself back together in earnest. "It's about a girl who did reflexology in high school then moved away for five years coming back to her hometown to take care of her parents, and having to deal with the way people think about her and talk about her..."
... Akane, reading something with no kaiju in it that Rikka didn't recommend...???
"We could get something to eat first if you'd rather, though. I'm definitely at, 'I could eat.'" Stretching a little, she adds, "... My wrists kinda hurt... it's not bad, and I bet I'll get used to it eventually, but... Ehehehe..." She rubs at the back of her head, then scratches at the side of her neck.
<Pose Tracker> Rikka Takarada has posed.
Rikka removes her ear protection, as well, then undoes her hair tie. She fans her hair out behind her, running her fingers through it to straighten it back out.
"That sounds great." Rikka replies as Akane suggests a bookstore run - and she looks toward her with interest as she explains what she's looking for. That sounds a little more like something she'd read, but this is the first time she's hearing about it. It's great, she thinks, to see a new side of Akane's tastes.
"Oh, I think I'd like that one..." Rikka remarks with interest. "You'll have to show me the original sometime."
She nods, though, as Akane suggests getting food first.
"That's probably a good idea." She replies... and laughs, just a little, as Akane says her wrists hurt.
"Yeah, mine are a little sore, too... I can still kind of feel it in my hands." She replies, taking a moment to flex her fingers demonstratively. "I guess that's just another part of training..."
<Pose Tracker> Akane Shinjo has posed.
... While Akane does like Rikka's butt and legs, her hair is also a highlight, and Akane loves watching it tumble out like that.
"Yeah! One of the guys in art circle was crazy for the first one and got me into it... I was reading his copy, so I never ended up bringing it home or anything," Akane explains, enthusiastically. "Maybe we can pick up both volumes while we're out there..."
She starts to walk, yet again trying to shake the feeling out of her hands. She's let herself get a little too soft this year... maybe it's time for her to get more serious at the gym again? She and Rikka at least keep each other honest on going, but maybe she's not trying hard enough...
Letting out a contented little sigh as they start heading out of the range, Akane moves to take Rikka's hand, pressing up against her. "You did really great today... Chief~." ... 'Chief' rather than 'Rikka' in a position where they could get away with being more casual usually means Akane's feeling like she wants to be swept off her feet -- both in the moment a little, and later... rather more.
"Where do we want to go to eat?" she asks, kicking that one back into Rikka's court for now.
<Pose Tracker> Rikka Takarada has posed.
Rikka is definitely aware of how much Akane loves it. And if she puts a little flourish on the way she does it for her benefit... who can blame her?
Rikka listens with interest as Akane explains, with enthusiasm, where she first heard about it.
"He must've really sold you on it." She remarks, impressed, and nods. "Yeah, we'll have to keep our eyes out."
She walks with Akane out of the range, offering her a smile as she takes her hand... and a knowing chuckle as Akane compliments her.
She certainly doesn't mind when she calls her 'Chief' like that.
"Thanks. You did great today, too." Rikka says, with a gentle little bump. "A lot of progress. Let's keep up the great work."
Akane asks her where they want to eat, though, and she 'hmm's to herself as she considers the question.
"Let's go with something light, probably..." Rikka considers, and after a moment, frowns. "...And somewhere quiet, too, after all of that."
<Pose Tracker> Akane Shinjo has posed.
"Maybe a little, but... maybe I was thinking about something I could get a certain someone into pretty easy, too~" Akane says, giving Rikka just a bit more teasing. Now that she's out of the stress, she's definitely perking up a bit -- and a far cry from the initial sulky "This sucks" that she started at.
When Rikka suggests something light and somewhere quiet, Akane needs a little time to think about what's grabbing her. "I know there's a wrap place a few blocks down that we haven't tried yet," she answers, after a few seconds. "I've been kind of curious about their tomato-bacon-cheese wrap..." Pausing, she reached into her bag, fumbling around. The clack of pills in a bottle rattling around issues forth from it. "... Yeah, the cheese is fine," she confirms.
As they head out of the facility -- it's not a terribly long walk to one of the exits from here -- Akane brings her other arm around, now, hugging Rikka's. ... yeah, she still enjoys hanging off of her. "How are you feeling?" she asks, her voice just a little hesitant. "It -- wasn't as bad as I thought, but..." ... yeah, she's still a bit rattled-around by it. In the end, despite everything, she's still a little dainty in some ways.
<Pose Tracker> Rikka Takarada has posed.
"Oh, really?" Rikka replies with a smirk and a small laugh as Akane teases her. "Well, I can't say I mind that."
Sometimes it's fun to get drawn into someone's interests.
She walks alongside her as she thinks over where to go, 'hmm'ing to herself for a moment as Akane brings up the wrap place and takes a moment to confirm something for herself.
"That does sound pretty good... Let's do that, then, it'll be a good change of pace." Rikka replies with a decisive nod.
Akane brings an arm around her, and takes the opportunity to lean against her for just a moment. Only a moment, because it isn't quite as easy to walk that way - but she doesn't mind Akane hanging off of her, either.
How she's feeling, though.... A thoughtful expression crosses her face.
"....Yeah. I know it can't be easy." She replies with a sympathetic nod. "I'm doing okay, myself... I was able to handle it well enough once I got over my initial nerves."
She relaxed into it pretty well, in fact, once she decided it was something she needed to do.
<Pose Tracker> Akane Shinjo has posed.
Akane is delighted at being leaned back into -- even though, yes, that very much limits their options for actually making any forward progress. She relaxes her grip a little as they at last start down the sidewalk.
"I'm glad... it's good that you have that kind of focus." She's saying it as much for her own sake as for Rikka's; she is happy about it for Rikka's sake, but she also does still need to remind herself that Rikka's adaptability and drive are good things and not something to shrink from.
Gradually, her hands slide down Rikka's arm and she settles for handholding. Much easier to walk comfortably and evenly with.
There's a few moments of silence as she tries to think of something she wanted to say earlier, but put aside for training's sake. It does come back to her, though, eventually. "Aaaa, just a few more months..." Her cheeks turn a little pink as she adds, "I went through our checklist this morning, and we're pretty comfortably under budget and everything is handled... Not much, but we have a few hundred thousand yen to work with for any emergencies."
Looking up at the sky, she says, "I never thought I'd be taking someone's name, ahahaha..." ... There are a few things that could mean -- and all of them sound like the change in circumstances is affirming and exciting for Akane.
<Pose Tracker> Rikka Takarada has posed.
Rikka nods, as Akane remarks that it's good. It's something she tries to maintain - she feels like she needs to, considering her position. Akane's hand slides down her arm, and Rikka's hand meets her.
Yes, this is much easier. She doesn't mind this.
They walk in silence for a moment and Rikka just enjoys her presence, but eventually, Akane breaks the silence. A small smile crosses her face.
"Just a few more months." Rikka repeats with a nod. It's almost hard to believe that it's so soon... She's picture this for a while - and yet, it's almost upon them for real.
"Yeah. I keep feeling like we're forgetting something, then checking the list again and - no, we've got everything covered." Rikka admits with a small laugh. "It's good to have an emergency fund, just in case."
She looks toward Akane, then, as she looks up at the sky. Taking someone's name... She can see how much it means to her.
"...I'm glad it's mine. I'm happy to share it with you." Rikka replies.
A few years ago, she wouldn't have imagined saying that. But now... it's not so bad.