17 - Action

[thearchangel]

[Despite the irritation in his last entry, the local vigilante has taken it upon himself to try out the damn rifle anyway. It might not work as he wants it to, but he'll take potshots over losing his edge.]

[Which is why he's standing at the edge of the green, taking careful aim, and firing into one of the topiary shrubs. He's aiming for the central trunk, to avoid grazing the thing and hitting someone walking along behind it.]

[... between the sharp cracks of rifle fire, his head bobs in a rhythm. Almost like...]

[Okay, yes. Garrus has his music on.]

[And if you watch him long enough, he might even attempt some semblance of dancing.]

Comments

[action]

[thearchangel]

Fought? You've seen action?

[action]

[buildsthatwall]

Yeah.

[Though by the way he looks away it's clear he wished he hadn't.]

I had to do a light of fighting putting my world back together.

[action]

[thearchangel]

Putting your world back together?

[action]

[buildsthatwall]

[Kid nods his head.]

The Calamity destroyed it. I survived and was helping to put it back together.

[action]

[thearchangel]

Calamity...

Like what they're telling us happened here?

[action]

[buildsthatwall]

[He shrugs.]

I guess so, but it was a weapon. The Mancers made it and...it didn't end well.

But when everything was destroyed I ended up at the Bastion, not here.

[If the Calamity caused this much destruction, then why didn't he come here in the first place?]

[action]

[thearchangel]

So... your world was gone. You got sent somewhere else to fix it... and then that place got wiped out, too?

[He's trying to piece this together, see if it makes any sense.]

[action]

[buildsthatwall]

[Kid shakes his head.]

No, the Bastion is in Caelondia, my home. It's where we were supposed to go if there was an emergency, except only me and Rucks made it. We were gonna fix everything, even found some more people, but then I got sent here before we finished.

[action]

[thearchangel]

But the world-destroying. That's not something new?

[action]

[buildsthatwall]

Not really.

[action]

[thearchangel]

... I guess that's something.

[action]

[buildsthatwall]

[Kid lowers his head.]

I don't mean to be rude but...not really.

[action]

[thearchangel]

What do you mean, not really?

[action]

[buildsthatwall]

Because I rather not know what it's like to lose my home.

[And then lose it again.]

[action]

[thearchangel]

Unless... they're not really gone. Not like they say, anyway.

[action]

[buildsthatwall]

Why would anyone lie about that?

[A question no one has yet to answer for him.]

[action]

[thearchangel]

Keeps us in line. If we think we don't have anywhere to go back to... why try and leave?

[action]

[buildsthatwall]

But why would they want to keep us here?

[This is all far more complicated than what he's used to.]

[action]

[thearchangel]

I don't know. Haven't managed to figure that one out yet.

[action]

[buildsthatwall]

If Rucks was here I'm sure he could figure it out.

[Kid isn't smart, or at least doesn't think of himself as smart. He can work, he can scout, and he can fight but he's no good at plans or anything like that.]

[action]

[thearchangel]

Rucks? Who's that?

[Shepard probably could too. But running to her for every little problem isn't an option.]

[action]

[buildsthatwall]

My friend. He survived the Calamity with me, and he knew how to fix it too.

[action]

[thearchangel]

Guess you're right. Wouldn't be a bad thing to have someone like that around.

[action]

[buildsthatwall]

Yeah, he's really smart.

[Crap, he's starting to miss them again. Maybe he should change subject.]

What kind of gun is that.

[Subtle.]

[action]

[thearchangel]

This?

[He hefts the rifle, looking down at it.]

M-97 Viper. A sniper rifle. Good for long-range shooting.