anemoi | The very first time in a very long line (Video)

[If you're anywhere near the commons, you might be hearing a racket - the sounds of various silverware, plates, dishes, and even books slamming into large junk targets. In the center of all this commotion is Catherine, wielding a modified leaf blower connected to parts of a vacuum cleaner strapped to her back.

Of course, she's not alone. There's a table set up with the guts of her phone/Pip-Boy combination spilled out so that she could show the rest of you exactly what she's doing.]

So, fellow exiles! Because it sounds better than "new arrivals" or whatever. We've all been told that there's a good deal of anemoi located outside through those teleporters, and I don't know about you, but it sure as hell beats working for them day in day out. But, and you've probably ran into this problem skirting the west edge of the city, there's those creatures to deal with. Now, how are you going to defend yourself?

If you didn't have a clear answer to that question, don't worry, because I do! This baby here is called the Rock-It Launcher! Not the most accurate of guns, but it makes up with one major bonus. [She takes the time to fire more junk out of the weapon.] If it can fit inside this leaf blower, you can use it as ammo! Plates! Silverware! Paperweights! Books! Trust me, even the small things are packing a punch!

No training necessary, just point and shoot! Well, maybe adjust for an arc, but that's it! If you're looking at going out for anemoi but you don't have a good way to defend yourself, just call 362-4360 and we'll see about setting you up!

[Feel free to bug her before or after her video, or call her!]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

The problem with an imprecise weapon is, obviously, that it is much easier to miss with. When one misses, the enemy has more time in which to attack. What is the reloading time on that weapon, and now many objects can it hold at a time? Especially to someone without any other combat training, a delay like that could be fatal.

I don't think anyone without memories and without any training should be encouraged to head out and fight dangerous creatures.

Carrying bullets is far more convenient and practical than carrying plates and larger objects. It's quite possible that a person might find themselves in a situation where there is nothing to use as ammunition close at hand. In any case, I would hardly advise bending down and picking up more ammunition in the midst of a combat situation, especially while holding such an unwieldy weapon.

[And let's see how many things she can cram in there! A quick flip of the vacuum and she's just tossing things in haphazardly. She's using generally mid-sized things, but sorry Yuri, no plates. Takes her maybe ten seconds total? Firing some off to make sure it still works.]

However long that was, I've got maybe 25, 30 things in here? And yeah, it's imprecise in the same way a shotgun is imprecise - you wait for them to get closer to increase your chances of hitting.

Man, you've really got it in for plates today. It's probably just as dangerous to reload this under fire as it is, hmm, any other firearm. Especially when it's vacuum loaded.

And I don't think you should be allowed to discourage people from doing it if there's a perfectly good solution in front of us. You want to sit here in this town, find a job and be bought out? Fine. But some of us want to do more than sit here and twiddle thumbs. Guess which group I'm trying to help.

[He doesn't mean to be critical, yet he is a critical lawyer.] Yet you already know how to use that weapon. I'm not sure if others would handle it with the same finesse.

I was using plates as an example. Feel free to replace the word with a comparable object of your choice. That's hardly the issue. There's a reason bullets are popular projectiles. They are more effective. The creatures might not be invulnerable, but I'd say a bullet would be much more likely to incapacitate one than most of those other objects. With bullets, you do not have to look for and move toward another object, then bend down or lean over to pick it up, which was my meaning there.

I wouldn't discourage anyone from taking action. I'm interested in ensuring the well-being of the others, so I was curious about this weapon. Where I'm from, I believe weapons are extensively tested and held to certain standards of safety, for the benefit of those who use them. I would be willing to contribute to a fund that made sure others were properly armed.

[He smiles politely.] As for the matter of being "bought out", they do seem eager to use us as manpower to clear the wilderness.

Yeah, because I have the schematics and I've used it to defend myself. You don't give someone a weapon and tell them to go, especially when you know how to use it. The difference is when telling them how to use it takes longer than a few minutes.

Alright, I see your point there, but we're going in circles here. Bullets are more effective, I'm not arguing there. But handling a gun is fine control, and if you don't have that control, shots go everywhere you don't want them to. Twitch with this thing and you're not altering the shot that much.

...heh. Again, I'm starting to get the impression we're fighting the same battle from opposite sides. People who want to go out are going to be out there, whether they're prepared or not. The more they've got going for them, well, the more they've got going for them.

You've got every right to be curious and concerned about it; have to admit, I'm still getting used to not living in Post-Apocalyptia. This thing looks like hell, but I can't count how many times this thing has saved me, even when I was just starting out.

Yeah, and I think they're out of their mind. Clearing an area isn't something that happens at this kind of relaxed pace. You'd need a group to go out and clear out an area, then stand guard over that area until people get set up. Even then, they barely got enough people to cover the city border, and they're surrounded by water on three sides.

Ah, yes. I'm sure we both have others' best interests at heart. I don't mean to say that the weapon doesn't have any use, or that it's a poor idea overall, just to point out some concerns. There is no need for haste, as far as I'm aware. Those who wish to explore can take time to equip and train.

I'm also worried by the fact that people seem to be going out in groups, and it strikes me that that particular weapon could be either useless or disastrous in a melee situation. Of course, in a situation where there were no other weapons available, I can see how it would be quite useful, and I'm glad it's been of service to you in the past.

Indeed. A well trained fighting force would be far more effective in such a situation than ragtag bands of volunteer amnesiac newcomers. [He doesn't like the idea that they might be cannon fodder, as it were, but he's not about to voice that thought in public. He pauses.] My name is Petrov. A pleasure to meet you.

The very first time in a very long line (Video)

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