( closed ) operation: arrow appraisal

[warfed]

Who: Petra Macneary & Claude von Riegan
When: Early February
Where: The desert outside Cadens.
What: Claude is looking for some feedback from a fellow expert.
Warnings: None!

[While their various responsibilities have made finding a day to follow up on their arrow-oriented plans a touch difficult, an afternoon finally arrives where both Petra and Claude are available to dedicate the kind of time to this research that they'd like to. It goes without saying that shooting arrows just for shooting's sake will need to be done outside of the city, but they're both familiar with the desert and a number of the outposts by this point, and finding a place to test Claude's work is simple enough.

They end up halfway between Cadens' gate and the nearest outpost, where Petra now stands with her hands on her hips, chin up as she surveys their surroundings. They've remained near the road for the time being, but the area is clear of other people for as far as the eye can see at the moment, no merchants, travelers or hunters in sight.]

There!

[She smiles, pointing to a wooden post in the distance that marks the edge of the path.]

We can be using that post as a target for now. Or maybe a cactus? Something stationary, before we move on to live prey.

[They have to be methodical about this!]

Comments

[godshattering]

[ That gets a very put upon gasp and a hand to his chest as if Petra's seriously wounded him despite that too charming smile she gave him to go with it. ]

Ouch, Petra. Remind me never to upset you or my ego might not be able to handle what you come up with then.

[ The act's dropped a second later since 1) he did walk entirely into that and 2) there was no real offense on his end anyway, but it certainly is fun to play that up now and again. Now he does unstrap his bow and absently stretches his shoulder afterwards to loosen it up in preparation for testing all these arrows. ]

I do hope you can solve it since admittedly, I'm all out of ideas. I'd even tried changing my stance to get it to fly where I wanted without much luck there. It's cost me getting a couple bounties cleared faster so I've not been eager to make another one like it anytime soon.

[ While chattering away he draws an arrow with the same feathers but with yellow marks and gestures to the post where some larger imperfections in the wood seem to have served as targets for fellow weapons enthusiasts. ]

Which one should we aim for first?

[warfed]

[She laughs openly; the overblown reaction is almost exactly what she'd expected from him, but it is endearing all the same.]

I am only keeping your ego in check.

[She gives a stretch of her own, taking her bow in both hands before stretching both arms out before her, glancing over as he easily draws an arrow as though it's second nature to him. By now, she supposes it would have to be, and yet she finds her gaze lingering a moment longer than she might have expected, admiring his stance.]

I— am not thinking your stance is the problem.

[It's just fine, if you ask her.

She nocks her own arrow, drawing up tall with her chin tipped upwards as she prepares, pulling one arm back as she stands with her feet apart in the sand.]

Seeing it in action later will be making a difference. That knothole a third of the way down— be aiming there.

[godshattering]

[ There's something about that miniscule pause which makes him glance Petra's way rather than focusing on the shot he's supposed to be taking. That feeling's only amplified by Petra deliberately averting her eyes back to her own arrow lineup and immediately makes him have to press his mouth in a line to keep from smirking.

Well - more like from smirking openly. The effect's certainly there anyway. And if Claude decides to take another second to stretch and really focus on that stance he already knows is fine, it's totally a coincidence and definitely not showing off for Petra's benefit. ]

Knothole a third of the way down it is, then. Let's see if my ego can recover enough from that shattering to help me make this.

[ Showing off very obviously doesn't have anything to do with this next part, either: he's confident enough in his abilities to take a couple seconds to appraise the distance and bow tension needed before he lets the arrow fly. And so it does and lands inside the knot but slightly off center to the left side, which. Hm. Not the dead center he was hoping for, but there's always next shot as he lowers his bow. ]

Alright, let's see what you've got. Maybe we can make the next round even more interesting by taking those shots with our eyes closed since there's no danger of hitting anything but sand or a cactus out here.

[warfed]

[Oh, no, certainly not for her benefit— and she certainly doesn't take another look through her peripheral vision to try an appreciate it fully, nor does she let him take the first shot so that she can admire the way he takes aim.

Definitely not.

She follows the arrow's course, a smirk pulling her lips to one side when she sees where it lands. He had made his mark, technically speaking, but she knows him well enough to know that anything less than dead center certainly won't do.]

Not bad, for a first shot.

[Teasing, of course; they both know full well it was excellent.]

I may very well be taking you up on that. First, however—

[Her smirk pulls wider as she closes one eye for a moment, setting her sights along the length of her arm before drawing the bowstring back and firing. She, too, misses dead center— but manages to land her arrow just beneath Claude's, enough so that it almost nudges his arrowhead out of place, tipping its fletching upwards.]

Hm.

[godshattering]

Not bad?

[ This calls for a ever so brief second round of being scandalized though it's without the chest clutch this time, partially because the rules of the game (to Claude) demand it. His ego's fine.

It also ends there since not even having a little fun with a shot he also feels wasn't his best doesn't mean he's about to distract Petra from taking hers since that'd be unfair. And for as much as he likes to keep those completely made up rules shifting at his whims, now isn't the time for that.

Petra's arrow lands to where it looks like both arrows were shot in tandem by the same archer, and he blinks at the result. ]

I think that might also qualify as not bad. Maybe a little bit better than it, really. Something more like... above average? [ The look he sends her way as he shifts the quiver to let her grab another arrow is entirely teasing given that he's also trying to not laugh while giving his 'honest' appraisal - the results speak for themselves. ] I think we'd better try again to be sure. You choose our target this time and go first, and I'll do my best to keep up.

[ In the meantime, he'll fiddle with some minor adjustments on his bow mostly for something to do while waiting that's not outright studying (admiring) Petra before she's ready to shoot again. ]

I don't know if I've ever asked before, but when'd you start using a bow?

[warfed]

[She laughs in response to his theatrics, over-the-top as they are; his reactions are absolutely what make saying such things worth it, playful moments that she has found herself incredibly grateful to share with him. His companionship is something she has come to depend on here, she's found; she had always enjoyed his friendship back in Fodlan, as well, but time and circumstances, as well as her own choices, had put them on opposite sides of the battlefield.

This, she much prefers— there is no question about it.]

Above average.

[She sounds nothing short of amused as she echoes him, shaking her head in response.]

I suppose I will be taking that! You are quite right, though. We should be trying again to be absolutely certain. That cactus over there is looking particularly threatening.

[A perfect next target. She reaches to take another arrow as he offers the quiver, though she does glance up just long enough to catch where his own gaze rests— studying her, is he? Perhaps she's just imagining things.

She smiles gamely, proceeding to nock the arrow with ease.]

To answer your question, I was being very young when I started— my father would take me hunting with him. The bow I used then was much smaller, of course. I was six, perhaps? It was very long ago, but I remember those trips fondly. What of yourself, Claude?

[godshattering]

[ Petra gets nothing but a wide grin as she turns his own tactic back against him, entirely too pleased by everything about it. After she chooses her next arrow Claude reaches for one of his own with a heavier weight to it to test his luck in this next round.

And as for looking: when she catches him looking Claude doesn't even bother pretending like he was doing anything but just that. Until the time comes to shade the sun from his eyes with his hand holding the arrow to peer at the cactus in question and like this requires serious appraisal. ]

You're right, we'd better take it out immediately! Who know what'll happen if we just leave it out here?

[ As if the cactus is advancing on them or doing anything besides minding its own business out here in the desert, but - it'll be the perfect target for them to use next. While he waits for Petra to finish lining up her shot Claude idly spins the arrow in his grasp. ]

I think I was probably about the same age or thereabouts. My father's close friend is a rather well known general and he was my combat instructor as soon as I was old enough to pick up a weapon. No bows there since my father also taught me back when I was convinced I could also use his even if it was about twice the size of me.

[ And, well. There's a limit to how distracting Claude's willing to be even in a friendly competition so if she's ready to take that shot he'll fall silent. ]

[warfed]

[They had both learned to shoot from their fathers, then; sat at the feet of kings and learned to follow in their footsteps, and her smile hitches just a bit wider as another commonality falls into place.]

A general and a king. Your education is to be the envy of many. I am enjoying the image of a young Claude struggling to hold such a bow upright— do not correct me if it is not true, by the way.

[She sounds quite pleased with herself even as her gaze remains fixed on the chosen cactus, and in the next moment her arrow flies, getting a bit more lift than she might have expected— the result of Claude's innovations, no doubt— but still managing to make its mark, the head sinking into the cactus flesh without resistance.

She lowers her bow, looking back to him expectantly. It's his turn to follow up, of course.]

We will be doing the city of Cadens a service, I think, dispatching of this menace. Let's see what else these arrows of yours can do in the hands of one so expertly taught!

[godshattering]

[ He is, in fact, opening his mouth to correct her (slightly) before Petra beats him to it, and then there's nothing to do but laugh after she takes her shot. Amused or not, he's still going to wait to not interrupt. ]

Alright, alright. I'll let you have that one if it means I get to picture the same being true for you at some point, even if the bows might've been somewhat different. The ones in Fodlan were just different enough at first that I had to adjust, to say nothing of what Failnaught was like, but at least the basics are still the same everywhere.

[ Easy enough to offer up a grin when she looks for him to grab an arrow. Which he does, drawing one to match her selection and spending a second twirling it in appraisal. ]

I should think we'll be lauded as heroes for our service out here, really. Maybe this is our in with the higher ups once they hear about it.

[ Which - if there is any 'in' to be had from their respective bow prowess, Claude's not sure they want that since it'd likely mean being swept into the military or worse. There's probably a worse.

All of that feels far away for now as he lines up, spends a second fine tuning, and then sends his arrow to its destination. As he'd hoped it rustles the fletching on Petra's arrow as it passes to land perfectly lined up with hers in parallel, the point buried side by side into their cactus target. ]

By the way, I'm also pretty sure I'm the one who should be saying something about in the hands of someone so expertly taught. You put most of the Alliance battalions to shame.

[ Sorry, nameless Alliance soldiers. ]

[warfed]

[She waits until his arrow hits its mark to say anything more, offering a satisfied nod of approval as she lowers her bow and gives an easy smile. They are well-matched, as ever, though working with a stationary target is perhaps a bit too easy for the both of them.]

If your battalions cannot be slaying cacti, then I am very worried for the fate of the Alliance.

[She laughs as she approaches him with her bow in hand, her gaze intent, propping a hand against her hip as she sees fit to offer him a new challenge.]

If we are going to test ourselves as well as these arrows of yours, however, we should be finding some live prey. What do you say, Your Highness?

[Here, when it's just the two of them, she feels at ease gently teasing him without letting his secret slip— it's not hers to reveal, after all, but a point of commonality that she cannot help but take pleasure in now that he's entrusted her with his identity.]

[godshattering]

Oh, I think the Alliance is in good hands. Not mine anymore, mind you, but they'll make it without me gracing them with my presence except for now and then.

[ Said blithely like it's of no importance, but: what's the point in hiding that detail when he's already told Petra he wasn't staying in Fodlan? Something else small (or not that small, given the implications) to let go of holding in like he has been, and in the company of someone he trusts.

The title gets a crooked grin from him that he doesn't bother to straighten out to let it stay as something authentic for once. As averse as he is to titles and their usage, this feels different. It's an in joke between the two of them - something to share. Something that applies to them both. ]

I'm up for it if you are. Let's go, Your Royalness.

[ He says it teasingly, and yet an echo of another time comes forward of calling other royalty that - Dimitri. Who's no longer alive in his time, and Claude's not about to ask about Petra's. That's firmly on the list of questions waiting to be asked at some point that he's putting off indefinitely. Either way, the ghost of that is something he banishes away from their day in the present. No room for it here as they go to retrieve the arrows before starting their search for something that'll be more of a challenge. ]

How've your jobs out here been going lately? Any good tips for where we should be looking first?