trans_9 | across a river of blood [open]

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across a river of blood [open]

Riza stepped into the Sensoriums with one thought in mind. As the formation of the old Central shooting range appeared, her neutral expression changed no more than it was before. She had already decided that being bodyguard of the Colonel would not change, even if he tried to tell her otherwise. Riza had followed him this long and demanded he not where she was unable to continue. Of course, that was her Colonel, and not this one. Not this one from her far away past. This Colonel was about a year behind her, if that, and Riza would be lying if that idea wasn't bothering her.

She didn't let it show, however, as she kept her mind even. Clicking open the barrel of the pistol she brought along, of course there were others, she never left without at least two guns anywhere, making sure that the roll was filled. Closing her eyes, in the one swift motion she closed it back up. This whole thing was like oil-work, moving smoothly and in precision of the years that came with it.

Without taking even a steadying breath, the woman raised the gun, leveled it carefully, and within a few seconds took the shot. It hit the target it, of course it did, dead in the middle. And then another was made, and another. The sound very repetative, almost soothing against the oddities the ship wought. Riza couldn't help but, although disliking the object in hand, feel soothed by the scenery and feel of this calming work. Here she was easily able to get her mind off what happened outside, and most importantly...

The difficulty of the knowledge that this wasn't the Colonel she knew. Even if she would never abandon him, and they'd both appeared to make up their minds on the matter, it was hard for her mind. There was so much she couldn't say, so much shifted in that dynamic that couldn't be repaired. There wasn't a way to continue the exact same way when the events that drew them closer had occured for one and not the other. However, Riza was very determined not to allow that to happen. She was his bodyguard, and that wasn't going to change.

Bang. Bang. Bang. The sounds continued to fill her ears in the easy rythm, always hitting the mark she intended and hardly straying. When the round was gone, Riza only paused, closing her eyes as she lowered the gun. Not yet reaching for another as she took the moment to level her thoughts. She breathed, finaly letting it out as she shook her head. "Perhaps it's best for a moving target," she murmured to herself.

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"Why?" he asked, stepping up to the range next to her. "Bored already?"

Riza paused looking up at the voice to see the male. After a moment, she let the faintest smiles, putting down the pistol to change out. "I suppose you could say it's something like that," she responded carefully, "none of my targets recently have been particularly stationary."

Edited 2010-06-07 01:53 (UTC)

"Duh," he replied eloquently.

The gunshots were loud. Kang had somewhat better senses than the average human, but he had also become accustomed to the sound, working with Master Chief and Ronon. He watched at first, leaning against the wall; he recognized the woman from his omnicomm. She was the sniper he'd spoken to, and from what he could see so far, she was damn good at it.

When she stopped, he spoke up, "Impressive, ma'am."

Riza's fingers moved steadily to reload the gun. Pausing at the sound of a voice, amber eyes looked up towards the noise. While she blinked at the appearance of the male, nothing else about the calm expression changed. After all the things she'd seen, it was hard not to take this as normal either. Alphonse, the Homunculi, chimera, 'Father', this ship. For a logical woman such as her, it wasn't hard to believe creatures like him existed, and from the omnicomm she had seen him. Just not at full height.

Just as calmy, she closed her eyes, changing out the thing before snapping the pistol shut again. "Thank you," she responded in the casual-calm, "but I wouldn't call it impressive so much as years of practice."

Her eyes open, she looked at the male with the faintest of smiles. "Although, I must say, you are much different in person," she replied, trying to make it evident that she didn't mind his form without saying it. After seeing Alphonse and the chimera, Riza did understand some of how people normally reacted and didn't know how different it was for this man.

"It's still impressive. Anyone can shoot a bow or a gun, but it takes a bit of natural talent to do it well, especially from a distance," Kang pointed out with a grin. "Goblins, for example. Can't hit a target unless it's twenty feet in front of them."

It really was nice to not have people react to seeing him with fear and mistrust. Of course, it was because no one else on the ship knew what the hell he was, the reputation his kind had, but it was still nice. "You seem rather calm, though, ma'am. Most of the humans I've run into on this ship tend to be a little surprised or nervous when they first see me."

"Natural talent, huh?" Riza responded, voice clipped in only the slightest -of-ways. She was good at what she did, but it's not something she would have cared to be born with. "I just had plenty of things to practice on, really," she closed her eyes taking in the information, "can't say I've actually heard of goblins, or their existence. What sort of creature are they?"

Riza returned her attention to him, relaxing her shoulders and the hold of her gun. "I've grown used to seeing strange things the past few years, and I did have an awareness of your appearance before hand," she responded calmly, "besides, if you were going to do anything offensively, I'm sure you would have done it by now." Riza's voice was collected, almost confident."

Edited 2010-06-07 03:41 (UTC)

Kang nodded, picking up on that tone of voice. "Are you a soldier, then?" The way she held herself suggested as much, and her particular word choice. Snorting, he stood up straight and moved a little closer to her, "Ugly, smelly things that can barely speak their own language. Trust me when I say that you wouldn't want to run into one, ever."

He laughed and held out his scar-covered hand, "I find that it helps. I didn't catch your name before, ma'am."

Riza nodded, changing out the guns although she'd finished replacing the ammo. "I'm a First Lieutenant in a country called Amestris. Although, I've been doing secretarial and bodyguard work for the Colonel the last few years. He's aboard this ship as well," her words were simple, saying no more than the information anyone could get a hold of. Riza had no reason to lie, and she'd prefer to make it clearly evident she followed him before anyone else.

Turning her attention to the male, a small smirk could be heard in her tone. "If they can't be coherent, I have no doubt they wouldn't be remarkable company for anyone." Riza shook her head, tucking a strand of hair a way. She hated not having it up, but she supposed for now this was a necessity.

Watching as he held out a hand, she allowed the firmest of smiles as she took it to shake. "I'm sure it would. It's Riza Hawkeye. And you would be Kang, unless I'm incorrect." While stern, the voice had a tinge-more-kindness to it, she may not be warming up, but for her it was hardly fair to stay rigid around a person she hardly knew. As long as he didn't go after the Colonel, of course.

"I'm retired military myself. Used to be the commander of an engineering regiment," Kang smiled. It was always a pleasure to meet a fellow soldier. "It's really for more... dark reasons. But, that isn't important."

He was careful to keep his claws away from her skin as he shook her hand, "That'd be me. Well met, Riza."

At his words, Riza's stern smile became a firm line as impassive as she tried to be. For more dark reasons. If it had to deal with the military itself, Riza couldn't say against it. She closed her eyes, as she withdrew her hand.

"It seems dark reasons go around," Riza responded, "but we all have our own reasoning as to why." Homunculi, the Military with it's past, hard not to. And she doubted such things evaded anywhere else. If it hadn't, then she was sure none of them would be here to 'save the universe'. (Was that really the goal?)

She shook her head, moving the barrel of the gun. "I apologize," she said softly. "A pleasure to meet you, if it's all the same."

The goblins were former allies, years ago. Kang had never liked them much, especially after their part in the attempted genocide of his race. The way Riza was acting, though, he doubted she was referring to the goblins; apparently, he wasn't the only one that had done horrible things as a soldier (though in his case, he didn't regret any of it). But, that was just the way war was.

"There's nothing to apologize for," he took a step back, looking out at the targets she had shot. "I only just started learning how to use one of those. I'm used to more close-range weaponry." He patted the hilt of the sword on his left hip.

Nanashi had recently started implementing the use of gunpowder in her country. It had quickly evened the battle field when the angels began their assault in aid of the humans. One of her vassals brought it back from explorations overseas. They had been using it there to create blasts of colourful lights.

While they were fascinating and entertaining, they were not what her country needed, but they led to the discovery of explosives that they would throw at the angels, and then they eventually developed cannons.

The sound of the gun in the Sensorium was very similar, but more acute. Nanashi's curiosity was piqued.

She opened the door gently, but purposefully making enough sound so that her arrival would be noted.

She walked forward with poise and purpose, her black cloak fluttering ever so slightly behind her like the cloaks of knights of old. Her voice matched the tones one would expect from a ruler of the same era, "Miss, might I ask, what is that device you are using?"

Still holding the gun, Riza heard the opening of the door and turned quietly, but with purpose to the noise. As a soldier and a body guard it was in her nature to remain alert. At the person her face remained neutral, shifting to change guns quietly.

Closing her eyes she thought for a moment. Guns were a pretty common existence, her country included despite how far in the past it was. Riza thought it almost strange to be asked such a question. She sighed after a moment, shaking her head if only to clear her thoughts.

"A gun. A pistol specifically," she responded calmly after a few moments.

Edited 2010-06-08 00:39 (UTC)

Nanashi sniffed at the air, and there was definitely the scent of gunpowder to the weapon. "This, 'pistol', it uses an explosive powder to propel a piece of iron forward? Like a tiny cannon? Is that right?" Much unlike Riza, excitement quivered in Nanashi's voice, even if her body revealed none of her excitement.

A small smile peeled across Nanashi's lips. She knew it was right, or at least close to it. She didn't know how they did it, but somehow they had managed to make hand-held cannons.

Oh, how she wish she had her notebook.

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across a river of blood [open]

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