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This message was last updated by the GM at 17:35, Thu 31 Jan 2013.

Chantry scene?  Self-Defense (Firearms) class at the indoor range.  Thoughts?  I know it's what Jack is good at, and it's an area where other apprentices are lacking.

Who is Jack and Evelyn?

let's play? :-)

Taki was one the younger ancillae Tremere.  Her area of expertise was "fixing" things.  By "fixing" things, Taki often killed them.  Taki's purpose for clan Tremere was to remove supernatural threats.  She was quite good at it actually.  She was an expert with a variety of weapons, knew a ton about modern security, and knew what to look for with regards to other supernatural entities.  Taki's biggest claim to clan importance though came by being a confidant of Tyler Crown, an archon on permanent assignment in Charlotte.  Anyone who knew where Taki's skills came from or what she did as a mortal prior to her embrace wasn't speaking.

That chantry's range was three levels underground.  It has room to shoot at a variety of targets, including a "killhouse" setup just for this sort of thing.  The range was used quite often by the younger members of the clan who needed to brush up on their skills, qualify with certain weapons, and to test certain thaumaturgic effects on the environment (train without breaking the Masquerade).  Tonight was no different.  There place was setup for training, but tonight there would be no rituals, no robes, no delving into occult mysteries.  Tonight was about the basics - firearms instruction.

Taki had arrived early without her childe.  She had brought a variety of weapons; a pair of Benelli shotguns, a pair of MP5s, and enough 1911s for anyone to pick up and fire them.  There was also three different types of ammunition, one locked in a box, the other two already loaded into the clips.  Taki waited in the empty but clean basement room.  The place was lit up and she was clearly in the mood to handle business.

Evelyn arrives shortly after Taki and her childe. Dressed in casual chic she paints the picture of a lady who is all business. The choice of low heeled, leather boots, plain black pants, plain white blouse and sweater emanate a masculine efficiency and serves to veil the femininity of its wearer. Her dark hair is tied back in a bun, resting low in her neck, and she has forgone the use of make-up for this session. A pair of supple leather gloves are tucked into her belt within easy reach.

A friendly nod greets first Taki and then Jack. "Good evening Madame, Sir." she says. Her tone is polite and friendly, much as one would greet a welcome client. "How are you tonight?" While they speak her eyes remain upon the other two kindred, but once the initial greetings are past, Evelyn devotes some attention to the weaponry Taki provided. While she doesn't recognize each specific brand she is glad to have done some research beforehand.

When she had heard of this training Evelyn had booted up her computer and searched the internet for information on firearms and in particular those weapons that were easy to carry. She now knew what kind the police favored and what a semi-automatic was, but book knowledge could carry one only so far. "This will be a new experience for me," Evelyn confided. "I thank you, both of you, for giving me that opportunity."

The old building held mixed emotions for Jack, it was his escape and his tormentor. His world consisted of mixed emotions on many things but it was cold hard facts that was his centre of gravity. He came back often for training and classes, if there was any excuse not to be at the chantry he would find it even though it was his haven.He would have said that he was too old to study or learn anything but that would have been the limitations that he put on himself when he was mortal and if anything the Tremere had shown him was that the limitations of his existence could be expanded if you knew how and were willing to open yourself to the possibilities.

Quietly he helped his Sire, the weight of the duffel bags digging into his shoulders as he followed in her  footsteps the sound of their shoes clicking as they walked through the Chantry. Where most of the Tremere that he knew felt comfortable in library he preferred the gun range. Not that he was a gun nut, far from it, it was the only reminder that he held from his days as a mortal. The weight in your hands, the control of where it was pointed and when it would fire, control was what he craved for, control of self, situation and the occult. At the moment he would be content with two out of the three.

They laid out the weapon, the Benelli shotgun would not have been first choice,  even with the unique inertia operating system he still preferred Beretta, that because he was also preferable to the  Beretta 92FS. Good weighted sidearm with decent accuracy with the 10 to 25 meter rang. The MP5’s were always a fan favorite no matter where you went. Heckler & Koch 9mm sub machine gun and also maker of the 1911 variant pistol, sturdy and could take a knock, and last but not least 1911 patent Pistols. There were a few favorites in the mix. The CZ was always a favorite, the Duty being a 40 cal with decent weight to help with muzzle control and minimize shift of aim was what he like to carry. Berretta’s and the new Smith and Wesson were also good and he had been surprise to see no revolvers there not even the iconic S&W 686, which handled better in the 50 meters stakes but he was guessing that his sire did not want encourage that kind of shooting.

When Evelyn  approached, and he tried to sum her up instantly, a bad habit from his living days. Never make a first assumption of a person. It was a rookie mistake and a throw back to his days on the job when it meant survival to be able to read someone quickly and correctly. He looked her over, her dress, her hair, the way she spoke. She was a socialite and would most likely go far in the clan. He was willing to guess that she excelled well in occult studies and was most likely the darling of the bal.  When she asked all he could say was. ”Well, thank you." his tone passive and controlled. Not returning the question for fear of her actually going into details and trying to use it as a platform to starting a long winded conversation and draw information out of him.

He turned to Suzuki his face serious as it usually was”Before we start should I check the loading and slides of the weapons to make sure there are no jams. It should only take about 5 minutes” he asked always one to make sure that the firearms where in a ready condition for use, that are stripped, cleaned and stored properly.
This message was last edited by the player at 03:43, Fri 08 Feb 2013.

Natalya wandered down the stairs to the basement, five minutes after she was supposed to arrive. Dressed in a knee length flower patterned red dress, cut low enough to draw glances and make the imagination work. Her shoes a pair of workman like doc Martens. She looked disdainfully over the weapons on offer. "I appreciate the effort Atsutaki and thank you for the offer of instruction, but really....the Colt M1911 has been around for longer than I have. I go for Glocks by preference."

"Mind if I watch?" The question was a mere courtesy as Evelyn stepped up to Jack and kept a keen eye on his hands while they worked the slides. She noticed how the different guns had different ways to load and offered a faint nod as she stored the knowledge away for future use. "The Glocks seem to be a popular choice," she replied to Natalya's comment. "I'm glad for the opportunity to broaden my horizon and try out various kinds before deciding on a weapon of my own. Of course the Glocks, by being so popular and widely available have the additional perk of being difficult to trace. A lesser known gun might be a good choice for an assassin wishing to leave 'a calling card', so to speak."

Evelyn turned towards Atsutaki, smiling that same professional smile as she waited for the ancillae to share her expertise.

Natalya smiled "If disposable is what you are looking for, there are many more M1911's around than Glocks. I just like Glocks as they make a pistol which fits into my hand more comfortably. The M1911 is a bulky for my taste."

OOC:It is sometimes VERY handy to have a brother in law who is a gun nut.

He stood listening and kept his mouth shut, talking guns was like talking religion and sex. Everyone had an opinion and they were all right. While some liked Glocks, other 1911 Colts and there were even CZ , there were people that swore the accuracy of a revolver could not be beaten, in the end it come down to personal taste. He could not convince them of his view or nor could they convert him to theirs, not until you actually sat down and tried to handle them all it was all about was always best about what you preferred. It was all semantics at the end of the day and reverted back to things like grip size, weight and the ever important look, but to Jack there were other things, like how easy was it to break down, haw many moving parts and how accurate between the ranges 07 meters, 8 – 25 and god forbid at 50 meters

He moved closer to the table, with each of the pistol he performed the same routines. He picked up the firearm making sure the he had muzzle control and that it was pointed in the safe direction down the range and his trigger finger was no where the trigger at all time. His finger pointed out to the right like it was afraid of the trigger.  He next pressed the magazine release. For safety precautions it was empty but it was a ingrained into him. With the pistol still in his hand he made sure the muzzle control was still down range and positioned himself on the side of the firearm and pulled the slide back in a pinching grip with his free hand and locking it into place by flicking the slide lock with his thumb. He lifted the gun to eye height and checked the chamber to make sure it was clear and still the muzzle was down range at all time. There was no way there was a chance that his sire would have left it loaded, but his eyes were looking for excess  residue which would stick in the strike plate or near the trigger spring which would impact on the sweet spot, Meaning after you fire you do not need to let the trigger go all the way back to pull it again, instead only reducing the pressure enough to squeeze again. When he was happy that they were good to go he took off the slide lock and let the pistol slide back into place with a metallic click, he did it one last time enjoying the sound the slide made as it slid back into place. He did the three finger releases of the hammer, the thumb of the hand that was holding the pistol rested on the Hammer and with his free hand he pinched the hammer making sure all three fingers were safely on the fire arm before he put his finger on the trigger. He squeezed the trigger and slowly guided the hammer back to the face place. As soon as that was done he moved onto the next one.

Atsutaki Suzuki was an apprentice of the 5th circle.  That made her the highest ranking kindred present for the training exercises tonight.  Even the experienced Natalya was only an apprentice of the third circle.  She was the prince's childe too.

"Apprentice." was how Taki had addressed everyone.  Taki was short and broad shouldered for a woman.  She had traditional Japanese features but her eyes had a darker then usual edge to them.  Taki's eyes darted about as they took in every meticulous detail of what her childe was doing with the weapons. The look on her face suggested every little thing was being filed away.  Taki's hair was pulled back into a utilitarian ponytail.  Even her skin seemed a little more bronzed, then usual.  Taki was dressed in a pair of snug fitting blue jeans, Adidas running shoes, and a black hooded L.A. Raiders sweatshirt.  She had her sleeves were pulled halfway up her wrists.

When Natalya showed up late, Taki checked the time by glancing at a clock on the wall.  She didn't say anything.  Even if she was five minutes late, Natalya was still ten minutes early.  Taki knew how to manipulate the childe.  It wasn't that difficult.  "You bring up an valid opinion Apprentice Shrevchenko.  The Colt 1911 is a heavy pistol that fires a heavy bullet, more accurately, at a greater distance and with more punch then the nine millimeter or forty caliber ammunition in your Glock.  It is an uncommon but not difficult weapon to acquire, that's tried and true, rugged design has weathered more then a century of use, abuse, and criticism.  At the end of the night it is still a flawless pistol that is the basis for all modern handguns tonight.  That is precisely why we are using it." Okay, so maybe she was a little irritated.

She turned to Evelyn.  "Because Glocks are so commonly used and fire such standardized ammunition, we purposefully are using the forty-fives.  If something does happen where bullets are exchanged, we want to be able to quickly and efficiently neutralize the scene by removing evidence of our own presence.  It's easier if we can identify what's ours and what's not.  Does that make sense to you?

Then, as her childe continued to move through the guns, Taki picked up one of the MP5s.  Then she opened the locked ammunition case with the wave of her hand.  She pulled out a clip for the weapon that glowed a soft blue color for about three seconds before stopping.  When she popped the clip in and released the slide, chambering the first round the clip glowed blue again.  This time when the glow stopped, the symbol of clan Tremere appeared on the side of the clip.  She set the weapon off to the side and repeated the process for one of the colt pistols with a similar result.  Then Taki went back to watching until something else happened.

She checked the time on the wall.  10:59:54...55...56...
This message was last edited by the player at 18:14, Fri 08 Feb 2013.

Evelyn watched Jack's movements probably as closely as his Sire had. Her eyes that followed his every move went slightly out of focus when she rehearsed his actions in her mind. From the third gun onward she tried to recall his next action before he came to it.

When Atsutaki spoke, Evelyn courteously turned her full attention to the more experienced apprentice. The corners of her mouth tugged upwards at the oriental woman's explanation. Yes, that made perfect sense to one who was used to dealing with testimonies, witnesses and police reports. "A very good sense, indeed," she agreed. She could think of various situations where that distinction would make all the difference in the world. As she guessed Atsutaki could think of a couple more, she didn't bother naming them.

With her attention focused upon their teacher Evelyn could not help but notice the odd glow on the ammunition, and their clan symbol appearing. "Does that mark serve the same purpose, madame?" she inquired with keen interest, indicating the newly charged weapon with a gentle sweep of her hand.

At precisely 11:00 PM The door to the Firing Range opened one more time and another person walked in. He had heavy boots, scuffed on the toes, down the sides, and well broken in. He had khaki colored cargo pants. The pants were in good condition, but not new. They had scuffs on the knees and were well broken in. These, like the boots, were for putting in work. Across his broad chest was a black, snug fitting, v-neck shirt. This guy was big. Large pectoral muscles and shoulders, the hint of a taut, flat stomach, and massive arms. Muscles rippled in them like flexible steel bands. An under the shoulder holster in brown leather carried a big, silver revolver. A pen was clipped to the collar of the shirt inside of it so that only the aluminum clip of a pen was visible at the collar of the shirt and he had a leather wrist band strapping a watch to his wrist. The man had crossly cropped hair, a strong jaw and a perpetual, but well trimmed beard of stubble on his face. In his left hand was a pipe that he had just taken from his mouth and as he looked over everyone he exhaled a cloud of aromatic smoke.

Archon. Lord. Tyler Crown, while not a common sight around the chantry, was an unmistakable figure. The large man observed the assembled Apprentices for a moment, looking at each of them in turn. Everyone knew Tyler Crown was never, ever late for an appointment, and he expected the same promptness out of those who had to meet with him. If Tyler Crown walked through the door at 11PM, well after he would normally have been here, it only meant that he had been somewhere observing for some time now.

Tyler started speaking with a faded Welsh accent, not incredibly prominent, but it was there, "Glock. M1911. Sig Sauer..." He reached up and hauled the large revolver out of the holster. It was big and intricately engraved. "London Armoury Company." He held the gun, barrel pointed down, finger through the trigger socket and showed it to everyone before putting it back in the holster. "These are tools. The means to an end. Do not get it in your heads that we are here to teach you to be assassins or masters at covering up murders." Tyler walked further into the room, and stood next to Taki. The two were complete opposites. Taki was a scalpel. Tyler was a bludgeon, or so he seemed at first glance.

"Disposable is secondary to what you are doing. We have people, like Taki, who are extremely skilled in cleaning up a crime scene. Rest assured, Apprentices, that if you are staring down a foe with a gun," He looked to everyone again. "You. Have. Failed." He pulled on the pipe again and released another cloud of that strangely aromatic smoke then continued, "But, this is an interesting age we are living in. I can assure all of you, that sooner or later, you will fail. You will need to defend yourselves, and for whatever reasons your abilities as Tremere will be either be inappropriate or unavailable. These weapons have been selected for very specific reasons. We are not here to debate those reasons." His eyes lingered on Natalya as he spoke. "Charlotte has an international airport, is a rail hub, and is less than a night's drive from other major cities or transportation hubs, even during the summer." He grasped the bowl of the pipe, and put both hands low behind his back and looked at everyone. "Sooner or later, you will have to defend yourselves from Sabbat, Anarchs, or Lupines. All of which are viable threats in this city. So, pay attention, perform well, and there are rewards for mastering these tasks. The right word from a Lord and Archon can get you very far in life. Very far indeed."

Tyler retreated to the back of the room, scraped a chair away from a small metal table that was usually used for reloading or cleaning guns and sat down, pulled out his tobacco and matches along with his ever present notepad and began watching. It became clear that not only was he taking notes on what he saw, but that he was interested in the material of the class as well, or perhaps, he was watching to see how Taki conducted it.

He stood watching, he was a keen observer. To him the guns were unimpressive. For one who had used multiple types they were something he respected but was not in awe of. Magic on the other hand was all new to him and it was amazing to watch. When he saw the ammunition illuminate he quietly tried to figure what the spell was. His eyes resting on the ammunitions as he tried to think of the components that would be used, the words that would have needed to be spoken and energy that would have been needed   to combine it all together. It was beyond him but it did not stop him trying

He did not speak up, there was no need. His sire would instruct them what they needed to know anything else would be fruitless and waste of time both his and hers. He noted that she was watching the clock and looked up too, she was waiting for something and when the door opened he saw what it was, the Archon Crown, and now he understood what this was, lesson and tests under the watchful eye of the Archon. Taki was in a tough spot, training three apprentices all with different learning abilities in front of the Archon was a test for her as much as it was for him and as her child any failure on his part would impact heavily on her. He had a lot more to lose here than the rest of them and it became apparent that he would have to watch himself.

He listened to the Crown’s words, looking at the Sig then back to the man’s eyes. Jack’s  own features were the usual stoic that he usually was, his attention unwavering and precise. When Crown headed to the back of the room he did not turn to watch, instead he waited for his Sires command on what she wanted to next. He stood still waiting for her to address them. He did not look at the others but through his peripheral vision he took note of the others reaction. This night just got a lot more interesting and dangerous.
This message was last edited by the player at 07:37, Tue 12 Feb 2013.

Evelyn turned towards the door when it opened and her eyes widened. Without a word she went down on one knee and bowed her head to their elder. Check. Not just any elder, Archon Tyler Crown. She had seen him only once before but his was a presence no kindred would easily forget. If and when she was bid to rise she complied. Her eyes shone with excitement and she listened to the Archon's words with an almost holy zeal. His advice was taken as if it had come straight from the Holy Bible and Evelyn filed the most importants away in her mind. Later, she would transfer her memories to actual files but now was the time to focus at their current task.

Once Crown retreated Evelyn returned her full attention to Atsutaki. I'd say the stakes just went up, she thought to herself. From their earlier conversation Evelyn was aware the kindred here outplayed her concerning their knowledge of firearms, but she dared to hazard Crown knew all this and more. If she were to impress the Archon it had to be through different means. Do the best you can, she reminded herself. Now and forever.