Shepard laughs, both expecting the question and, obtusely, surprised by it. He wants to shoot. Alright, well don't we all?
"There's a lot of wrong ways to shoot, and a lot of right ways that you shouldn't do unless you know what you're doing, but let's start at the basics and go from there."
The basics are, ultimately, a lot more basic than she'd like. If Shepard had her way, as she so often does, he'd have drilled with all the safety mechanisms, and only then loading and unloading, assembly maintenance, lubrication, a thousand other things that went into handling a weapon properly. Only then, likely not even in the first session, would she have asked him to take a shot.
Unfortunately, they don't likely have the time, even if the Horizon's endless wish fulfillment tendencies wouldn't hamstring a lot of it. So. The short verion, then— She shows him how to load the antique.
It's simple enough, flintlock mechanism, chemical accelerant; she explains the difference between bullets and balls, and how wadding and powder functioned. Spark to make flame, flame to expand, a tiny explosion of air pressure and heat that propelled the bullet— or ball— down the shaft and, with some skill and luck, into the target... There are some things in this world taking methodically, and learning right. If you fuck up the foundation, it's no wonder if the house falls down afterwards and, whatever Claude's impatience, Shepard is a passionate defender of the outcome being all that matters.
"...The main thing is, if you see a gun, you assume it's loaded and ready to fire. Don't point it at anything you aren't prepared to see destroyed, including people," She thinks for a moment, watching Claude to see that he gets her meaning, "Right. Now you're ready."
Choose your target sir.
"Feet apart, don't lock your elbows. Both hands on the grip, keep your finger off the trigger until you're sure you're ready," This last said with real steel. If you're going to do something with a gun, Claude, at least do it on purpose. She nudges his shoulder to open up his elbow, putting it in proper alignment, "Line up along the sights. Breathe out, and squeeze."
She does not warn him about the kick; the experience of recoil, the shock of it, could in some cases injure you quite badly. But in this case, Shepard is wagering that that shock, the unpleasant lesson of it, would be a better reminder to Claude's future self than any amount of warning. Don't tense up; but be ready. Unlike what the weapon might do to someone on the other end, it won't kill you.
no subject
"There's a lot of wrong ways to shoot, and a lot of right ways that you shouldn't do unless you know what you're doing, but let's start at the basics and go from there."
The basics are, ultimately, a lot more basic than she'd like. If Shepard had her way, as she so often does, he'd have drilled with all the safety mechanisms, and only then loading and unloading, assembly maintenance, lubrication, a thousand other things that went into handling a weapon properly. Only then, likely not even in the first session, would she have asked him to take a shot.
Unfortunately, they don't likely have the time, even if the Horizon's endless wish fulfillment tendencies wouldn't hamstring a lot of it. So. The short verion, then— She shows him how to load the antique.
It's simple enough, flintlock mechanism, chemical accelerant; she explains the difference between bullets and balls, and how wadding and powder functioned. Spark to make flame, flame to expand, a tiny explosion of air pressure and heat that propelled the bullet— or ball— down the shaft and, with some skill and luck, into the target... There are some things in this world taking methodically, and learning right. If you fuck up the foundation, it's no wonder if the house falls down afterwards and, whatever Claude's impatience, Shepard is a passionate defender of the outcome being all that matters.
"...The main thing is, if you see a gun, you assume it's loaded and ready to fire. Don't point it at anything you aren't prepared to see destroyed, including people," She thinks for a moment, watching Claude to see that he gets her meaning, "Right. Now you're ready."
Choose your target sir.
"Feet apart, don't lock your elbows. Both hands on the grip, keep your finger off the trigger until you're sure you're ready," This last said with real steel. If you're going to do something with a gun, Claude, at least do it on purpose. She nudges his shoulder to open up his elbow, putting it in proper alignment, "Line up along the sights. Breathe out, and squeeze."
She does not warn him about the kick; the experience of recoil, the shock of it, could in some cases injure you quite badly. But in this case, Shepard is wagering that that shock, the unpleasant lesson of it, would be a better reminder to Claude's future self than any amount of warning. Don't tense up; but be ready. Unlike what the weapon might do to someone on the other end, it won't kill you.