2023.03.06 Arrows Over Sunhome

03.06.23 Arrows Over Sunhome
Erin gives Trey a lesson in Archery
IC Date	03.06.23
Players	Erin, Trey
Location	Sunhome
Spheres	Bastet Changeling

"SUNHOME WELCOMES ALL GAIAN ALIGNED!"

This sign is clearly visible in the common area.

This vast community covers a large expanse of land and looks like something out of Fallout or Mad Max, except for the shiny state of the art solar panels that cover every building. The most prominent is the two story Main House. A second, smaller Guest House sits a few hundred yards away, and is closer to the Main Gate. At the end of a short stone pathway, between the Main and Guest Houses, sits a covered wooden swing amid a garden area (+view swing). Closest to the Main Gate is a long rectangular structure that server as a Community Shelter. Like most of the structures in the area they have been built from recycled, scavenged materials, and designed to withstand the desert climate.

At the center of the cleared area is a large lean-to next to a firepit area. It could easily allow shelter from the sun for most large animals. This area has a large dragon shaped firepit at its center where a beautiful set of chimes seems to always carry, very softly, a musical tone throughout the area radiating a sense of calm and peace (+view firepit / +view chimes).

A stone smithy stands a few hundred yards away on the other side of the firepit, though no smoke comes from it, and an array of mirrors surround it making that area blindingly bright during the day.

The inhabitants appear to be adept at surviving in this part of the desert (see +view people). They've dug out a well out in back of the houses, and planted rows of vegetables. The well is capped with a hand-pump and the vegetables are covered over by an umbrella of cloth tarps to keep the sun from burning the seedlings during the harshest part of the day and keep them from freezing at night. There is also a surprising number of wildlife and lizards once you're away from the homes. Gila Monsters being the majority.

This is a Gaian only room. Please do NOT +meet anyone into this room who cannot pass the locks on their own (see +help +meet implications). This is keyed to Faction = Gaian on +sheet. Also type 'look OOC' for more information.

Trey is here, enjoying a cup of coffee, and is sitting near the firepit. The temperature makes the fire a welcome place -- while it's not cold, per se, it's not precisely hot, either, and there's a dusty wind coming in off the cloudy desert. He looks up and spots Erin, waving brightly. "Hi!"

Erin is coming this time she has a stroller because you can't shoot a bow holding a baby, well you can but better to be safe than sorry. Kringer is in his big war form and having the saddle on where he has four bows and a quiver. Erin waves "Hi, sorry Eric decided he needed a snack on his way here" she giggles.

Trey grins at that and says, "Well, babies do that," seeming unbothered. He rises, regarding the huge warcat and his cargo. "Wow, you came prepared," he says, and makes space for the carriage close to the fire where it's warmer. "Should we head out to the back past the garden for this?"

Erin sagely nods "The more open room we have the better and away from people obviously." She looks around and peeks at Eric who is still awake though is fighting sleeping "I hope he falls asleep; he has been a little fussy. I wonder if it was something I ate" she smiles.

Trey huhs. "Does it affect him when you eat things? I didn't realize it carried over. Like, if you have spicy food, does he taste it?" He doesn't seem to consider that this might be an embarrassing question. It never even occurs to him. "Oh, he will, in time. Is he often fussy about sleep? Maybe bad dreams?"

Erin looks at you and smiles "Yes it can affect him. He doesn't taste it but it usually filters but not all of it.. " She looks thoughtful. She looks thoughtful "Not staying asleep it's not going to sleep. He wants to see everything so doesn't want to miss stuff so he fights sleep"

Trey huhs. "I wonder how much of all this that goes on around him that he's processing. When he starts talking, you'll know for sure, probably." He shrugs, smiling, and offers a hand getting the carriage to wherever they are going to go for lessons, given that the ground is uneven and dusty in places.

Erin has a stroller with big wheels but the help is really appreciated as she smiles "Let's go have some fun shall we" she comes along with you.

Trey smiles and says, "You bet!" He takes the coffee along with, his primary hand helping her get the souped-up baby carriage through the area and back to where it's safe to shoot pointy things without hurting anyone. He seems to have met at least some of the usual Kin who keep the place, as he greets them affably as they pass. Once they're past the public areas, he hrms and looks at the open space. "This look good to you?"

Erin looks around and nodsnods "yes this looks like a very good area. I should of brought some hay bales but this works.." she checks on Eric then moves over to Kringer and opens the sack and takes out some targets. She hmmms "Ok watch Eric ok?" she walks some distance away so she can place the targets.

Trey nods. "Of course." He keeps an eye on the baby, even playing a little with the tiny fists to keep him entertained for a few while Erin sets up the targets. "Hay bales would've been a lot more stuff for you to lug around, though. I mean, obviously you have Kringer and I'd help but it's still a lot of work."

Erin nods "I might bring some to keep here for next time" she nodsnods and smiles as she almost skips back "Ok so pick your weapon" she grins.

Trey starts to go through the bows. Each one, he picks up and tries to pull the bowstring, seeing if he can manage. Once he's done that, he tests to see how it fits his body and his reach. "Okay. First question. Which one of these should I be using?"

Erin laughs as she watches you "Ok" she smiles "I would probably start with a short bow because we are small" she hands you one "Ok so " she takes a short bow as well and comes to stand a bit away "Ok so have to take a stance the weight needs to be on your feet and knees your going to give you a bounce." she smiles.

Trey objects, "I'm not that small! Well, okay, compared to some, maybe..." He grins and takes the shorter of the bows remaining, testing it out, fingers against the string thoughtfully. He turns to look at how she's standing as she talks, and then finds himself in an easy stance, unlocking his knees and standing ready to have that bounce she discussed. "Like this?"

Erin nodsnods "just a little bit more of a stance" she helps using the bow too lightly tap your leg "Ok" she moves to the front so you can see her and she shows you how to hold the bow "So you hold it with this hand." she looks to Kringer who comes to lay by the baby.

Trey moves his leg a bit to get into position -- he's fluid in his motion, easy with the correction. He looks to where she stands with her bow, and mimics the manner in which she holds her bow, raising it the way she does. He notices the cat coming in to keep an eye on Eric, but doesn't pay him any mind.

Erin smiles "Ok get use to with the motion of pulling the string back now don't pull too far and releasing it just a few times.. Trey nods, and then takes the string, working it back smoothly and slowly to ensure he's doing it right, and then easing it back. It slips from his fingers on the third iteration and he yelps as it slaps his cheek. "Ah, have to hold that thing better," he mutters, ignoring the small line of blood -- it heals up quickly in any case, the wound closing as he returns to trying to pull and easing it back, pull and ease, pull and ease.

Erin winces and comes over to you and stands behind you "Ok don't hold that so close to your face" she places your hands where they need to be "Right there and you don't want noodle arms ok.. no noodle arms" she steps away watching you, as you take the stance and get the feel of the slight pull.

Trey chuckles. "Yeah, I probably shoulda guessed that." He moves the bow to not be quite so close to his face, then, and lets her shift his hands to where they should be. "Ah, okay, and what is a noodle arm? Floppy?" He tries again, and his motion seems a little more sure as he pulls-and-eases again.

Erin moves Eric away from the fire line and puts the little sunnet down. She whispers some words as she does a little magic on the stroller and looks to Kringer "Watch him" she then comes back to you.

Trey takes the time to keep trying the pull-and-ease-back motions, getting his arm used to them. He doesn't seem to be trying to do anything adventurous, just trying to get his arm used to the feeling of the movement. He's almost fallen into a zen state, just chilling out, pulling-and-easing.

Once Erin makes sure that Eric is super safe and as protected as can be she brings and arrows with her. She hands you one as she stands in front so you can watch "So this is how you hold the arrow" She shows you how you hold it between your two fingers in the front as you hold the front and then how to hold it in the back "Carefully when you pull the string and you want it to meet right there"

Trey shifts his fingers to add the actual arrow into the equation, following her instruction and getting the arrow straight between front and back. "Right here?" He shows her, eyes ahead and not on her.

Erin nodsnods "Just like that.. " she moves to see how your holding the arrow and makes corrections where she needs too between your hands or stance "Ok when i say pull back and let go ok?"

Trey agreed without nodding. "You got it." He takes the correction, lets himself feel how the arrow and the bow both feel in his hands, against his fingers, and draws in a slow breath, making sure to stay in the same stance and pose.

Erin watches you but doesn't make a bit expectation that the arrow will go far since it's your first time and usually the first time doesn't go very far. She smiles "Go for it"

<---======##====================[ Dice Roll ]=====================##======--->
Trey rolls Dexterity(4) + Archery(1) (5 dice) vs 6 for 0 successes.
1 2 3 5 8
<-------------=============++++++++++++++++++++++++=============------------->

Trey pulls back, maybe a little too eagerly, and lets fly. Or... flop, to be precise, because it only makes it about halfway to the target. "Ugh," he mutters, chuckling ruefully. "Okay." He reaches down and picks up another arrow, going back into the proper form, and sets up for another try.

Erin smiles "good first try.. Do it again, you will get the hang of it" she lets you try again and she corrects whatever needs correted "No noddle arms" she reminds.

<---======##====================[ Dice Roll ]=====================##======--->
Trey rolls Dexterity(4) + Archery(1) (5 dice) vs 6 for 2 successes.
2 3 5 +6 +6
<-------------=============++++++++++++++++++++++++=============------------->
Trey chuckles and un-noodles his arms, then focuses, drawing back the bowstring and arrow, letting it fly. This one actually hits the target! Hooray!

Erin smiles softly "yay you made it to the target.. Good job" she claps excited that you hit.

<---======##====================[ Dice Roll ]=====================##======--->
Trey rolls Dexterity(4) + Archery(1) (5 dice) vs 6 for 5 successes.
+6 +7 +7 +9 +10
<-------------=============++++++++++++++++++++++++=============------------->

Trey grins brightly. "Okay, so now I just have to prove I can do it again." And with that, he shoots his instructor a wink and picks up another arrow, and goes about the process of aiming once more. He pulls slowly, releases, and... it hits the center of the target. "Whoa, holy shit," he says, letting out a whistle.

Erin eyes you a moment as you hit the target and scoffs "Beginner's luck" she giggles "Good job, I think you are going to do this just fine, you just need to keep practicing on your stance and arms and you will be a master in no time" she nodsnods.

<---======##====================[ Dice Roll ]=====================##======--->
Trey rolls Dexterity(4) + Archery(1) (5 dice) vs 6 for 3 successes.
4 4 +6 +6 +8
<-------------=============++++++++++++++++++++++++=============------------->

Trey agrees, "Probably, but allow me a moment to bask in my awesomeness." he laughs at that, preening like the cat he is before getting back into stance, paying attention to his arms, and letting fly once more, this one hitting one of the middle rings. "This is harder than it looks. If I do this for a while, I'm gonna ache later, but it's all good." He can always just shift to make the pain go away if he wants.

Erin nodsnods "Oh yeah if your not use to it your arms are going to hurt and you might just hit yourself in the face more than once or break the bow string which also hurts like a bitch" she giggles. She goes to put the short bow away that she used to show you with.

Trey says, "I think I'm gonna keep working on this, if that's okay?" He goes and retrieves the arrows from the target (and the ground), then returns to his position, going back into his pose, correcting himself, and then letting an arrow fly again. "This is fun," he says with a smile.

Erin gives you a nods "Sure thing. Don't over practice or you will really regret it later and so will your fingers. They get mad" she mentions and then she gets a little mischievous little smile and picks up the long bow, that thing is really big and takes to steps to the side, takes aim and fires aiming to hit the bull's eye.

<---======##====================[ Dice Roll ]=====================##======--->
Erin rolls Dexterity + Archery vs 3 for 7 successes.
1 +3 +3 +4 +4 +5 +8 +8 10
<-------------=============++++++++++++++++++++++++=============------------->

Trey looks over, watching Erin take the larger bow and fire off an arrow neatly into the bullseye, chuckling. "I am humbled," he says with amusement. "Nice shot. And that's a big damn bow."

Erin smiles and looks a little relieved "Well I at least haven't lost my touch.. I was a little afraid there that I had grown noodle arms" she laughs.

Trey shakes his head, and says, "No, you haven't, from the look of it. But you've given me a standard to live up to," he says with a smile. He sets back into position and begins to let some arrows go, each one slowly, taking his time to get the pose right and feel what he's doing.

Erin doesn't show off more I mean she could but she doesn't. She puts the bow away and moves over to where the baby is at "I didn't mean to show off sorry.. " she blushes "you will get it that good I know you will"

Trey pffts and says, "It's fine, you're allowed. Why not be proud of what you can do?" Spoken like a cat. "Beside, you're teaching me, it's good to know you're really good at it." He doesn't seem offended or upset in the least.

Erin gets comfortable on the ground near the stroller "Ok ok then I’m not sorry" she giggles.

Trey picks up his arrows again, and shakes out his arms a bit. "I'm feeling it. I'm glad this isn't my breed form, so it'll wear off quick." He grins again, and then raises another arrow to the bow. "You went from archer to Mom, that's got to be a big change. Is it hard to deal with?"

Erin shakes her head "Not quite.. Kinda started as a mom, then figured all this out and then became and Archer.. Though I do miss going on patrols.. " she nods "so yes a little hard"

Trey ohs. "Your oldest pre-dates this, then," he says, smiling. "Sorry, I didn't realize." He raises another arrow, leveling it out, letting it fly. It skitters off the edge of the target. "Damn. Are you going to go back to patrols or is it just because Eric is so young?"

Erin hmms "I found out I was kinfolk like almost 5 years ago.." she nods "Cuz I’m not ready to leave Eric with someone else just yet.. So till that happens I won't be on patrol.. Also I value my mate's suggestions so.. There is that. We talk shit out you know"

Writing reality out to disk. Please wait... Reality saved. Thank you for your patience. Trey nods, and says, "Okay. I'm sorry if that sounded like a challenge or something, I'm just curious. You know me, I just ask a lot of questions. I didn't mean anything by it, Erin."

Erin looks a little puzzled "I'm not upset.. I was answering your question" she smiles at you "It's fine honestly" she grins.

Trey ohs. "Okay. Sorry. Sometimes I still read too much into stuff. Remember that thing we talked about, about getting used to emotions?" He smiles ruefully. "Yeah. Probably just that." He raises another arrow, focusing, and then lets fly. This one hits a middle ring.

Erin giggles "Oh you would see it in my face if I was mad trust me.." she claps "Good job that was a good one"

"But I wasn't looking at you, so that's why I assumed," Trey counters good-naturedly, and adds, "Thanks! Yeah, I think I'm getting better at this, but I'm definitely going to want to put more practice in to be sure."

Erin nodsnods "Remember to give your muscles rest.. they need that as well as memory of how to hold it" she smiles.

Trey nods, having done this for a while at this point, and takes a moment to stretch, very catlike as he raises his arms way over his head. "Oh, I will. If it gets too bad, I'll soak in the tub later." He asks, "Do you mind if I hang on to one of the targets, and this bow and the arrows? So I can get in some practice."

ERin smiles "i don't mind at all, I brought them specially for you to use. you should have about 20 arrows there and if you need more let me know.. I’ll make you more" she nodsnods.

Trey ohs and bows, "Thank you! At some point, when I've gotten good at this, I'll probably want to enchant up a bow and some arrows, and maybe, if I can make fetishes by then, I'll do that, too."

Erin smiles at you "No worries.. That would be awesome when you can get to make them into fetishes and stuff like that for you."

Trey smiles. "I'm hoping that Mercy's-Messenger will teach me, or Hammer-Tooth. I've learned from both, and I figured out the trick of peeking into the Umbra to see spirits now, so I pick this stuff up pretty quickly.'

Erin smiles softly "i am sure they will be more than happy to teach you.. They are pretty awesome" she nodsnods.

Trey ohs and notes, "When they have time -- yeah, and they're both awesome. But they also have commitments and duties, so I don't want to expect too much, given that they're both busy as hell. Still, I'm really looking forward to learning the Rite of the Fetish."

Erin smiles sotly "Have you met Journey?" she asks curiously.

Trey huhs and shakes his head. "Not yet, but I've heard about him. I just haven't really sought out a lot of the highest ranking folks because -- y'know, they get busy, too. I think I need to spend more time at the sept to try and meet more folks."

Erin gives a nodnod "yeah that would be how you do it.. or the Smoke and Barley you might meet some there they stop by" she smiles.

Trey nods again, "True. And their ribs are really delish." He mms at the thought of them, and turns back to the target. He goes back to aiming as he speaks, trying to force himself to do it more casually. "I know I've been a little lazy the past week or so, but... or at least it looks that way. I've been doing a lot of research..."

Erin gives a shrug "Who put a time limit or gave you chores you have to do?" she asks curiously.

Trey says, "Gaia," with a smile. "Other than that, cats don't really have to answer to other cats unless a much higher rank cat tells you you're needed. In that case, you go, but as a rule? Nobody's the boss of me."

Erin nods "Exactly, your the only boss of you. So if you take it slow or take it fast your the only one you have to answer too.. So if you take it slow who cares.." she giggles.

"Makes perfect sense to me," Trey grins. "I mean, what cat have you ever known that allowed anyone to boss him around?" He aims again more evenly and lets the arrow fly at the target.

Erin laughs "None really cats make their own rules" she giggles. Erin gets up and smiles at you "Ok remember to not over do it.. I am going to take this little guy home before he wakes up and let's everyone know it" she giggles "If you need me, you know where to find me ok?" she waves as they head out leaving you to practice.