EQUIPMENT ORIENTATION ♔ monday evening

[badexample]

WHO || Andrew Gatewood and any/all Knights who haven't attended an equipment orientation yet
WHAT || Equipment Briefing
WHERE || Knights Headquarters, the Dragon's Hoard Laboratory
WHEN || Monday, October 7th, 7:00pm
HOW || actionspam

Andrew fidgets while he waits for the squires to show. He's waiting inside the lab, behind its "Biohazard" labelled doors. Once people begin to show up, he offers a stammering greeting and does his best to seem like he knows what he's doing. The sad part is, he DOES know what he's doing... He's just bad with people. People are free to look around at the grand library while he waits for the proper head count. Once he thinks everyone has arrived, he takes them up the steps. A great deal of models are suspended from the ceiling that look like space age designs for jet planes, cars, boats, and any number of other things. There are other objects that are much more inexplicable: a giant silver ball, suspended by several rods, for example.

There's another set of doors at the end of the balcony, and he swipes his access card through a reader beside them. They depress with a space age hiss. revealing a clean white laboratory, with rows and rows of tables and lab equipment set up. Numerous knights buzz around in white lab coats, working under microscopes and on computers, conferring over a number of projects.

"Just a bit further." He says with an awkward smile as he waves to a few of the lab techs that he knows. There's a door on the left side of the room with a panel that he presses his hand to, causing the light to change from red to green, unlocking the door for the group.

Beyond is a very long room, with rows of labelled cases and cabinets with transparent glass revealing what's inside. Andrew moves to shift from one foot to the other on the other side of the stainless steel table.

Comments

credit cards

[badexample]

[There's a stack of envelopes on the table, which Andrew spreads out and tries to explain.]

There's an envelope for each of you with a credit card in your name. We've got a financial department that tracks the expenses, so try to keep it to business purchases only? Things like hotel rooms, hotel rooms, air fare, meals, any equipment you can't get from the lab? Those sort of things are fine.

[Each card is silver with this logo branded on it, and the words KARTHUR INSTITUTE across the top.]

You'll also be getting paid monthly, so don't think we've forgotten about you.

Excalibur Brand Pistol

[badexample]

[Andrew points over to some aluminum cases lined up along the floor.]

That's your Excalibur. It's our signature issued firearm- a modified Glock 17 handgun. You don't have to take one, but if you do, there's weapons training to make sure you get certified to carry and use it in the field. We get that not everyone wants to use a gun, but if you do...

[He trails off and opens one of the cases to show off what's inside. The weapon is located inside with the Knight's symbol of a dragon on the handle, and the words EXCALIBUR across the barrel. Below it are located several 17 shot magazines and a silencer.]

Just... don't mess around, alright, guys? If you're found out to be misusing the weapon, you could end up not being granted full knighthood in the order. I've seen some people wash out because they didn't take it seriously.

gadgetry

[badexample]

So that's the two basic things we have for you. Any other weapons like swords and bows and the like can be hashed out with the fellows from the Dragon's Hide during your weapons training.

[But he doesn't dismiss them yet. Instead, he walks over to one last case.]

So we have an R&D department here. Er, Research and Development, that is. Brilliant folks that are always looking to make new toys for all of us. Any time you want to take something for a mission, just come down and see us and we'll sign something out for you. Just try not to break it, alright?

[Inside the lighted case are a pile of what looks like jewelry and cosmetic materials, both men and women's.] They've got surveillance equipment and just about anything you can imagine built into all this stuff. The idea is to keep yourself prepared without looking like you're anything but the average joe walking about. Like this-

[He grabs a wrist watch.] It's got a wire grappling hook, recording device, miniature circular saw, and a high grade laser. [He presses a button and the saw blades come out of the clock face, just to show off a little. Done playing with the toys for now, he sets it back down and shrugs.]

We can train you on pretty much everything here. New stuff comes out all the time, so don't be afraid to toss out some ideas. If we don't have it now, we can probably whip it up in a few months.

So... questions?

[fixyourproblem]

[Ooh, yes, Brantley loves credit cards, especially when he is not the one who has to pay for it.

He grabs his envelops and takes out the card from it.]

Karthur Institute?

[Brantley stares at those words, there's something familiar with the name. (wis 19)]

King Arthur Institute?

[beseeched]

We'll be getting paid monthly?

[That's news to him he thought this was more of a freelance opportunity. Jimmy's got the envelope tucked under his arm.]

Even if we haven't gone on a mission?

[beseeched]

[Jimmy tests the weight of the pistol in his hand. There's another thing he's inexperienced with, guns. The only time he's ever seen conflict was when he was the host for something greater.]

Is there a shooting range?

[That'd be a good start from practicing.]

[beseeched]

This feels like a spy movie.

[Watches aren't supposed to do all that, but what does he know? Stepping in here was like stepping into another world.]

Does someone really expect me to use my watch as a last minute grappling hook?

[bittersweeter]

[Midway through his spiel, the tiny blonde squire wanders in, hands on her hips and looking really fucking displeased that Andrew's explanation is so long. Like blah blah blah, edit that down a bit, sweetie. But because she is a genuinely nice person, she wants until the end of the whole thing before she pipes up loudly from the back.]

Oh! Pick me, pick me! [Lila stretches her arm up, standing on her tiptoes to get that much taller, which doesn't do much. But she's loud enough that Andrew won't be able to ignore her.]

Where the fuck is Zero? It's an emergency. [AN EMERGENCY, ANDREW, DOES SHE LOOKS LIKE SHE IS FUCKING AROUND. Pro-tip: no!]

[astrae]

[She's... trying to stay away from the weapons, and though she was listening intently through Andrew's speech about the Excalibur, really it's a gun, and she'd rather not carry one of those, thanks. There's a small, silvery stone in her pocket, and her hand is tucked inside, worrying the place where a small indent has already formed.] What about the phones?

[That seems the least overwhelming, although since cellular phones looked like CB radios back in 1992, this is all pretty Star Trek to her.]

[badexample]

[Andrew just twitches a dopey smile. Hey, his squire is kind of bright. That's awesome.]

Wynn's sort of old school. It's our cover. If anyone ever asks, that's who you work for. It's pretty vague as to what we say we do. Just sort of mumble and fake your way through it. People give up eventually.

[badexample]

Sure. [Andrew says with a shrug.] There's still plenty to do even if you aren't on a mission.

But if you don't want the stipend, I'm sure accounting would love a little more to play with in the budget. [This guy and his jokes]

[badexample]

[He nods] That's all down with the weapons training folks. They've got targets to set up. Plenty of people to ask for pointers, if you want 'em.

[badexample]

No one's gonna twist your arm and make you, if that's what you mean. But yeah. You never know what you're going to need out there.

[beseeched]

I want the money.

[Yeah, that flew right over his head. Good job, Jimmy.]

I just don't like having idle hands. I've been trying to do as much as I can with my down time just to prep for the inevitability of a mission. I want to be ready for it. I mean, I signed on for this with little to no experience. I want to be able to provide.

[beseeched]

I'll do that later.

[He wanted to just get used to having the weapon in his hands first. Violence isn't really in his nature but he has a mean streak and gaining experience is better than walking headfirst into a mission situation with nothing up his sleeve.]

Thanks. Is there anyone you'd recommend?

[badexample]

[This disturbance definitely throws Andrew off his rehearsed bullet points of everything he needs to make sure he says. He just sort of... stops mid sentence and leaves his jaw hanging open for a moment.]

S-sorry? He's not here. He's probably- [And then he stops again.] Hold on, who are you? What's the emergency?

[Because most new people don't know Zero so it's weird that she does...]

[badexample]

What about them? [Oh. Sorry. He's attached to his like an unborn twin.]

Oh, you mean-! Yeah, sorry. Uhm, we don't normally go over them here, but if you want me to show you some things, I can?

[He sort of resembles a giant teddy bear with how awkward he is. He motions for her to come forward and steps to the side so that everyone else can poke at the other gadgets.]

Did you not have them back before you came here? Phones, I mean.

[beseeched]

[Jimmy sighs and shakes his head. Every day here since showing up has been surprising in some way or another.]

I guess I better get used to off the cuff stuff like that.

[bittersweeter]

[Zero is her BFF, gosh get with the program. (Somewhere in the world, Zero is suddenly regretting his life choices. Should have never taken her with you, bro.)]

No, the question isn't who am I, but where is Zero? [She draws the question out slowly in case he can't comprehend it.] Who the hell are you?

[badexample]

[Wow, this guy is super serious. Andrew just blinks a few times.]

...Right. Well, the money's yours. As for the idle hands, you can find plenty to do if you ask the right people. Wynn will have all of you working at the front desk in shifts. Just check the schedule for when you'll be set up for that. Training is sort of a... individual responsibility. We've got people here to help get you more familiar with all the bells and whistles. People in the Hide will get you combat ready. If you've got the magic thing going for you, I'm sure the Fire and Light folks will have you working on that as well.

You get out of this what you put into it, y'know?

[beseeched]

[No one cares that you're blinking, bro. He'd really like to not die.]

Yeah, thanks. I just need to utilize the resources. So far it's been more study work instead of anything physical.

[badexample]

[Andrew is just baffled by what is happening right now.]

Andrew. That's me. Gatewood. Andrew Gatewood. [Did Zero ever mention his incredibly awkward former squire? No? Probably for the best.] I'm... sort of leading an equipment orientation... thing here, so...

[badexample]

It's pretty cool when you think about it, though. I mean... yeah, it's sort of like a spy movie. But you get to live it.

[beseeched]

At least I can say that my life won't be boring.

[He could've said that a few years ago, maybe. With Amelia and the hell she put him through- but not now. Definitely not now.]

Watch slash grappling hook. Who knew?

[badexample]

Any of 'em, really. I mean some like Lan and Dovan are a bit stuck back in the old ways. Swords and all that. Maybe talk to someone who's grown up with the modern stuff? Fred and Eric are good for that. Fred's friendlier, though.

Just... stay away from Kat, alright? She's been off on a mission for awhile, and the girl knows her weapon, but... You'll pick up a lot of bad habits that way.