[action] open

[plotdeviceturk]

[Tseng can be found in his classrooms all week, shuffling through files before lessons start with a possibly cold cup of coffee holding sentinal on the desk.

His name is written neatly on the board with the pronunciation underneath. Experience had long since stopped him from hoping anyone would pronounce it right from just the written english.]

OOC: have a catch all intro for the guy, anyone's welcome to bother him as they see fit. There are a bunch of empty hours in his week for people not in his lessons.

Comments

[perfectingjin]

They like mangling your name as well.

[ He knocks on the frame of the door as he said that, a slender Japanese man in the traditional hakama and kimono of a traveling warrior, his swords placed in proper form in his obi. He had seen the BBS post but didn't think much of it, but had seen the name on the board and had to make a comment. ]

[plotdeviceturk]

[There's a blink at Yoshi before Tseng replies, mostly because he looks eerily like Genesis but with different hair.

He laughs a little though.]

It's even worse when they try to spell it by sound.

[perfectingjin]

I always end up with an extra 'e' in my name when they do that. It is worse if they have access to my family name.

[ A shake of his head. There was a reason why he just used his given name - and in all honesty it was his given pet name and not the one he would have once he returned home with the Dragon. ]

Ah, I am Yoshi. We haven't met before.

[gunbladegrrl]

[Visitors not in lessons, hmm? Here's one for the fray: Maria steps into the classroom during a time when she won't disturb students, pausing to deliver a razor-sharp salute. He's higher Rank, after all.]

[plotdeviceturk]

I've seen a million different ones for mine.

[He gestures to a free chair.]

I'm afraid I haven't met much of anyone here who I didn't know from home, it's a pleasure to met you.

[plotdeviceturk]

[He gives her a sharp nod at the salute, closing the file he'd been going through.]

At ease.

[He was still getting used to the more blatently military parts of his job, the salutes being one of them. Rank still didn't matter much to him except when someone was pulling it or it was strictly enforced.]

What can I do for you, miss?

[gunbladegrrl]

[She relaxes as much as she can -- she hasn't been a SeeD long enough to feel at ease with the lessened difference in authority, with an Instructor.]

SeeD Cyphert, sir. I actually wanted to ask what your preferred projectile weapons specialties are.

[plotdeviceturk]

[there's a lift at the corner of his mouth.]

I'm experienced with everything from basic run of the mill handguns to rocket launchers and even improvised munitions. I am, however, partial to high caliber short barrel revolvers for most occasions.

[He gestures to a free chair.]

If we're going to talk firearms though you should probably sit down.

[gunbladegrrl]

A long speech prepared?

[She takes a seat with a bright smile.]

I am a firearms specialist -- well, among other things -- but I focused initially on rifle-class weapons for distance power. Close range I use melee, so I'm not actually looking to add a new weapon to my arsenal, but I do think it's good policy to be versed in any weapon that a fellow SeeD might use.

[plotdeviceturk]

Rifles are fine if you have use of both arms and don't have to move much unless you're trained for such instances, which takes a good deal of training for the upper body strength alone. I've trained people to use shotguns one handed, so it's not impossible.

[It was actually impressive in action, and Rufus had looked properly intimidating doing it.

He settles back in his chair, crossing one leg over the other.]

That is a good policy, until you begin to come across people who use unconventional weapons or are competent in more than one or two of them. I know how to build a functioning gun out of office supplies and a bit of pvc pipe taken out of a wall for example.

What is and isn't a weapon is up to how much you know and how desperate the situation is.

[gunbladegrrl]

Well, I have upper body strength.

[She grins, and makes a fist. Not that there's much of a display thanks to her clothes, but -- no denying the girl has forearms from hell.]

Really, what I'm more concerned with is less the opposition -- for pretty much the reason you said -- and more what I'm likely to see or be able to distribute among a team based on the mission objective. Strategy as opposed to tactics, you know?

[plotdeviceturk]

You should work on your shoulders, core and stance as well, the force of recoil will knock you on your backside without the ability to absorb or redirect it. It sounds easier than it is.

[Maybe he'll show you sometime.]

Asking is the best, or having a consistent team you usually work with. Pairing off with someone who's style and skills you compliment within that team is a good tactic as well; a fistfighter and a swordsperson or someone who uses attack magic with someone who uses defensive or passive magic.

Pairing someone who's a ranged fighter with someone who's close combat isn't always a good idea though it can work if they have seamless teamwork.

[gunbladegrrl]

[She giggles a little, actually. Not that she's necessarily comparing the two, but considering her fighting style -- in melee anyway -- relies on a near-psychotic amount of recoil, the lecture takes on a little but of a humorous tone.]

I agree, but it's not a luxury we have too often. Especially for the critical missions, we end up assigned to teams more often than not. And it also might happen that I have to fulfill some role I hadn't intended to, if someone gets hurt. Like launching a rocket, for example.

[plotdeviceturk]

[He wasn't too fond of gunblades, far too cumbersome and tricky to conceal.]

Well then, you should be prepared for rocket launching situations.

[He sighs, lacing his fingers together.]

There isn't a classroom on the planet that can truly prepare you for that sort of thing, Cyphert.

[perfectingjin]

I have not any of that luxury, I'm afraid.

[ A nod and he takes a seat. He is a swordsman - that is very obvious - but he carries himself with the balance of someone used to fighting in several styles. ]

I'm not sure what they would think if they were here; guns are banned and what little that remain are either worth too much to use or are useless.

[gunbladegrrl]

I don't know, I wouldn't put it past Galbadia Garden to be crazed enough to have a live-fire range for rockets. But if they do, going there probably isn't an option.

[plotdeviceturk]

I doubt they have the budget for it, let alone much interest in such overpreparedness.

[That might be something resembling a joke.]

There's also the fact that someone could blow their hand off or set fire to their squadmates to consider.

[plotdeviceturk]

[It's a note Tseng makes to poke at later.]

Banned? That must make things interesting, they're just as common as swords and spears where I'm from.

[gunbladegrrl]

Yeah, all their budget probably goes into their monster hockey team. Which I hear needs a new rink.

[She grins quickly.]

Those are the sorts of things I'd really like to avoid.

[plotdeviceturk]

And training, malboros are notoriously difficult to teach how to ice skate.

[She left it open and he's a man of opportunities.]

That's part of my point. They teach you to avoid those situations but not how to deal with them when the do happen.

It's why I plan on petitioning for use of a helicopter for a training exercize. Shooting from a moving arial location at a moving target is a skill worth knowing.

[earthlychild]

[He's been gone so long! Aerith arrives with a few slices of flavored bread from the cafeteria, smiling politely. It's still a little strained, but like Reno, she knows Tseng has no reason to hurt her now. Mostly.]

You've been working late again?

[perfectingjin]

Humanity nearly killed itself with all it's guns. What was left of the leaders decided that they should be destroyed so we were left with what other weapons we could make.

Do you also have magic where you're from?

[plotdeviceturk]

I suspect that didn't turn out as they intended, people tend to look for easier ways to get rid of each other.

[He nods.]

We do, it's remarkably similar to the magic here though it's a bit easier to use and more widespread. We don't have a need to ask guardian forces for their assistance or to travel far to find it.

[gunbladegrrl]

[To judge by her smile, she likes that idea.]

I'm starting to think I should audit your class even if I don't learn any specific new weapons out of it.

[plotdeviceturk]

[Even with orders he'd done his best to not hurt her, delay tactics and miscommunication loopholes had lasted for years after all. There's always the odd pukl in his chest at the sight of her alive, the last time he'd done that back home he'd been busy not dying from an encounter with Sephiroth.]

Old habits are hard to break, even after all this time.