text ; 8/10 ; the soldiers lift their rifles, they're aiming at the head

[hyperlit]

[The Drifter found something. They found something cool. Their traveling companions were not, evidently, too interested in dealing with the ancient weaponry found in the old ruined buildings - but the Drifter very much is.]

[So now they have ten very old firearms between the three of them. Pieces of another civilization's history that's also a weapon? This is Christmas.]

FOUND

10 GUNS
VERY OLD
NO AMMUNITION
MAY BE POSSIBLE TO RESTORE

[Who's interested?]

Comments

[lesbeau]

do they shoot
or are they just metal sticks now
like i know you said nothing to shoot with but can they shoot anything

[hyperlit]

if it can be a projectile
with an incendiary component
yes

[Welcome to the world of antiquated firearms. We Shoot Forks If We Have To.]

[lesbeau]

[Okay, but that is Exactly What She Wants To Do.]

thats sick as hell
got any left

[hyperlit]

yes
have many
can show how to fire

[lesbeau]

yes yes yes yes
how big do the things need to be
to fly outta there
i have a ton of ball bearings

[hyperlit]

smaller is better
wider blast and higher velocity
emulates close range scattershot blast
similar to shotgun

[lesbeau]

theyre real small
kind of like
do you have fingernails i realize i actually dont know
pinky fingernail sized
maybe a little smaller i dont know about your hypothetical fingernails
anyway i have about a thousand of them give or take a couple hundred of bullshit theyve already been used on

[hyperlit]

sound adequate
should serve well as ammunition

[Especially given their number. She likely won't run out very quickly.]

[lesbeau]

sounds good
also if you dont have fingernails theyre like pea sized
well slightly smaller but that kinda thing like a shriveled one
do you have peas
ill just bring them and show you

[hyperlit]

[Beau why are any of these words necessary.]

at buildings
northern region of nastrandir

[That's the only real part of this answer they feel qualified to respond to.]

[lesbeau]

[They aren't, this is just what happens when Beau's typing speed has picked up and also she likes you.]

thanks
be there soon
ill bring the balls

yknow the bearings not like
forget i sent that i tried to erase it and hit send

[Now she can get a gun and maybe see if the Drifter has fingernails. Win/win across the board. Either or, she is Comin' For That posthaste.]

[hyperlit]

[The Drifter has no idea what else she would mean by "balls." She was talking about ball bearings. Ergo, she was referring to the ball bearings. Right?]

[They're not going to question it.]

ok

[That's their only response. They'll be where they said they were, regardless of how long it might take for her to get there.]

--> action!

[lesbeau]

[It's probably better to just not question. Regardless, she's going to make her way over as quickly as possible; her approach is quiet by default, but the Drifter is always perceptive, so they likely catch where she is before she speaks.]

Hey! Okay, set me up, what's first?

[hyperlit]

[She's not the first person to meet them in person, but she is one of the more enthusiastic, and thus the easiest to see coming. Or, in this case, hear coming.]

[They hold up one of the weapons - oblong, cylindrical, far heavier and not as sleek and well-designed as their own guns - and offer it out to her without any hesitation whatsoever.]

know how to use?

[lesbeau]

[She takes it from them without a break in stride or her voice.]

Not even a little.

[Which is partially why she's here. Thankfully, the Drifter probably won't bat an eye at her antics at this point, which... feels kind of like trust and y'know what nevermind this internal conversation is over. Beau turns it over in her hands, trying to track where everything that moves is.]

Hope you do.

[hyperlit]

yes

[...well, all right, then. Best to start with the basics. They point to each part of the gun as they relay information in their usual direct manner.]

barrel fires projectiles
shaft stores projectiles and incendiary component
pull trigger to fire

must first load and aim

[lesbeau]

[For as much as she can be blasé about lots of topics, Beau does look intently upon their instruction, committing it to memory. It all makes sense in theory; just going to be a matter of getting the muscles to do the right parts.]

Gotcha. So how do you get the stuff in there in the right way? Unless you just pour it right in there.

[She thankfully doesn't straight peer down the barrel, holding it to the sky, but she is doing that eyebrow raise and head tilt people tend to do when they're looking down big pits they could fall into.]

[hyperlit]

pour it in
greater quantity will reduce accuracy
too much will jam it

[And, because it bears mentioning - ]

dated weaponry
no safety
do not aim at anything you do not want to shoot

[Especially don't point it at yourself!!]

[lesbeau]

[Beau watches their words carefully, snapping her head back at Drifter's reminder not to bring the end right up to her face. She was being responsible with it! She swears!]

Right, right. But when it's not loaded it's fine? Show me how to make it dangerous.

[None of this inspires confidence that she won't blow off a limb, but hopefully Drifter remembers that she's often more competent than she sounds.]

[hyperlit]

best to point away regardless

[Basic gun safety! Don't go sticking your face or hands into the barrel of a gun unless you know what you're doing!!]

must have gunpowder
or something flammable

[lesbeau]

[It's fine, she's fine, there's no stuff that goes in there! It's goooood. You're talking to a girl who grabbed a currently running lightning rod, took 30 points of damage, and stole it. To her credit, it was to disarm a ghost-generating spell, but self preservation is not her strong suit.]

Alright, alright. You have any so we can test? Or is that a question for the rabbit?

[She's kept her exchanges with them cordial, brief, and businesslike. No need to upset that kind of contact, after all, even if she has some damn words for them.]

Also, when you say something flammable, just like... anything that can be lit on fire? That seems like a lot of things.

[hyperlit]

gunpowder most reliable

[They lift one of the other guns they have on hand, running a hand along the top.]

flintlock structure contains piece of flint
cocking weapon lights the incendiary component
pulling trigger fires it

gunpowder is most reliable
do not currently possess any

[Their guns are more sophisticated than this, alas.]

[lesbeau]

Oh, okay. Ohhhh, wait--

[She looks at the gun one more time, and it all falls into place.]

It's a cannon. Just way smaller so you can carry it around. I know how to load and fire those.

[She was the first mate on a boat for like 3 months, she gets that. Alright, this now explains most things.]

Huh. Good idea, having a flint strike in there. Keeps it dry. Where are we gonna find gunpowder, though?

[hyperlit]

[A blink.]

[A moment to process. She's not incorrect. It is, in essence, basically a cannon. They remember seeing cannons, mounted on clifftops, encased in crystal...]

same principle
yes

[The question of gunpowder, however...]

may ask god
may find here

[lesbeau]

[Alright, now she's on pace. Beau nods, considering her options now that she has context.]

I'll keep an eye out. Sucks Nott isn't here, she used to be able to make that kinda stuff, or at least work with it real well. Guess we can't test these though.

[She reaches into a pouch at her waist and pulls out a couple of ball bearings, letting them roll a bit in her palm.]

These are what I was talking about. You think they're an okay size?