Missions, readiness and you (@gladio; video)

[leatherdaddy]

[ There's a video feed of a monster thrashing wildly, tramping over the ground and kicking up dirt and debris as it rushes toward the perimeter. It's joined by another, and another. They follow and stamp, snorting steam as they scream towards the fence. The video cuts away before the finale - where the Perimeter Guard make short work on the creatures. Instead, the camera focuses on a man with deep brown hair, amber eyes and wearing only a leather jacket and a large tattoo of a bird.

Hello, network. There's been enough reasons  to warrant a public message about safety (particularly now that it's his job), as well as an advertisement for self improvement. He's a big guy and despite his casual appearance and tone, he speaks with a certain authority of one with a lot of experience giving inspirational instruction. ]

I'm sure you've seen the posts.  Missions, a chance to do your part here.  You might even be tempted to try it solo.  Don't. If you think you're gonna be able to stand up against a swarm by yourself, don't bother - you won't stand a chance. [ Gladiolus drops his gaze down to his palm, then tightens it into a fist. ] But I ain't meetin' my end here, and I'm not about to let that happen to anyone on my watch. So be careful out there, team up. Train. Don't get caught in a bad situation unprepared.

[ The King's Shield's mouth pulls into a smile, hoisting a very massive greatsword nearly as tall as he is with a blade almost as wide as his waist and letting it rest on his shoulder. He doesn't seem to show any effort in doing so. ]

I'll be holding some combat training down by the barracks if you're interested in learning how to keep you and your loved ones safe. Survival skills, physical training, weapon skills... if you're interested, just ask for Gladio. That said, I got some missions that I'm opening up for interested parties.  One is pretty routine - get our tech guy to the fence for repairs, then get out.  The other?  Well, let's just call it an extended seminar on living off the land... there are some pretty impressive beasts out there, some of which might even be tameable.  Lemme know what you think.

Comments

[yokunaru]

[Blunt weapons, huh...]

What about stun batons? I've started training with one recently, and I could use more instruction and practice.

[leatherdaddy]

Stun batons? Sure, there's just one thing you gotta do for me first.

[ Grinning: ]

Be honest - how many times have you accidentally zapped yourself with that thing?

[yokunaru]

[There's a sheepish, surprised pause. Wow, you can't just call him out like this.]

I... several times. [Yuuri clears his throat, clearly a bit embarrassed to be admitting this.] I eventually had to turn it off while I was practicing with it.

[leatherdaddy]

[ Gladio tries hard not to laugh. It's more difficult than it seems, but it's bad enough that he's dragged the embarrassing reveal out of him as it was. ]

Good, you just spared me having to show you why you have to respect some weapons more than others.

[ Yep. Sure did imply he would have used it on his client to cross that off the lesson curriculum. ]

[yokunaru]

[He appreciates the effort to spare his pride, Gladio, but he can still tell you're amused!! Yuuri gives a long-suffering sort of sigh.]

Trust me, I learned my lesson. [a pause, then there's an audible perk in his voice.] So that means you're definitely willing to help me?

so late but here let's wrap up :3

[leatherdaddy]

It's what I'm paid to do.

[ And to make it seem a little less mercenary, Gladio grins back and throws in a thumbs up for good measure. He's the type who hams it up in front of a camera. ]

It'll help if I know what to call you. [ He's given his name, it's long overdue for this dude to tell him his, right? ]

sounds good to me

[yokunaru]

[Oops... that would definitely be helpful. Yuuri coughs sheepishly.] You can call me Yuuri.

So I just stop by the barracks sometime and ask for you?

[leatherdaddy]

Hah, well... while I conduct training at the barracks pretty often, I probably spend about as much time beyond the Perimeter.

You can also contact me anytime, my schedule's pretty flexible and I like to tailor training to the person and their focus.

[yokunaru]

I'll keep that in mind. Thanks. [Even if it's part of his job, like Gladio said, Yuuri's always grateful whenever someone offers to help.]

Ah, you said you were planning to go on a mission, didn't you? Will you be leaving soon?

[leatherdaddy]

Hm? Oh yeah, got a couple. They'll be back to back, since a few of the recruits signed up for both.

[ Little does he know how bizarre that trip will get. Despite the drama, he'll come out of that with some interesting acquaintances. ]

That sort of thing interest you?

[yokunaru]

[He nods, reluctantly.] I'd like to go on one eventually. Once I'm more comfortable.

I was asking so I'd know the best time to contact you.

[He isn't sure if their phones would even get reception out there, but he doesn't want to bother Gladio while he's out of the city anyway.]

[leatherdaddy]

[ Oh, right. ] Don't worry, we'll get you fighting fit. You just gotta stay motivated.

I should be back in a couple of weeks. But if you wanted a session before then, it'll have to be this week.

[yokunaru]

[Yuuri thinks about it, tilting his head to the side slightly.]

A couple weeks isn't too long of a wait. I'll see if I can find you once you're back from the mission.