LOST MY WAY // ARCHERY, O

[mickey]

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— his first weapon had been a gun. after his dad died, he remembered holding the man’s prized weapon in his hand. his hand trembled every time he held it up and put his finger on the trigger. his own fists couldn’t even pack a punch. at the time where the only people he had to protect in his life were his mom and his fiance, he still wouldn’t have been able to protect them. he was always too scared to pull the trigger, too scared he wouldn’t be enough. after the rose’s mom died, mick, stuck wishing he could’ve done more, pointed the gun at a makeshift target. his hands trembled as he pulled the trigger. he didn’t even hit the target.

things changed. with the carbines he became an entirely different person in the field of combat. long-range weapons, hand-to-hand… he learned how to hold his own. he learned because he had to in order to survive. sometimes the way his heart raced after a fight was the only thing to remind him he was still alive. there was still a man beneath his hardened exterior, built by war. he thought he knew everything when it came to weaponry.

slowly exhaled, then let go. the arrow breezed past the target. mickey slowly exhaled, gaze lingering on the target before turning his gaze away. he had overlooked one- and it appeared he wouldn’t be mastering it any time soon. to say the only time he had gotten the target had been when green’s hands guided him would only be a slight understatement. how did green make it look so effortless? he looked at the bow in his hand in thought and almost mild defeat.

[LYSANDER]

[align=center][div style="0px; width:450px; height:auto; text-align: justify; font-size: 9pt; line-height:13px;"]Shockingly, Lysander wasn't all that fond of weaponry. The man preferred to move without shooting his way out - a silent, sneaky, consideration of his surroundings. Perhaps it was a fear of how far would he go if he had a weapon in his hands (how desperate he could become?), perhaps it was just a fear of having something so destructive in his hands. No matter what it was, Lysander preferred his evasive-slash-subtle way of avoiding combat. There was no way to fight if you got out of the way fast enough with what you needed.

The knife in his boot was about the extent of what he was willing to carry. It was well loved, useful outside of combat, and fit into his hand like an extension of his being. It felt natural, not like handling anything else he'd ever touched. As he wandered up to the older man, peering at the bow, then at the empty target. "I'm shocked bows have still held up over all these years." Lysander mentioned, shrugging his shoulders as he came to a stop near the other man.

"They're so... archaic. Boooring!" His tone was light, the expression in the other man's eyes was something that made him.. uncomfortable. Had he known he would've walked into this, Lysander probably would've stayed in his room - yet here he was, trying to play down the surge of discomfort he felt when he realized he probably was commenting on something that meant more than just a matter of shooting a bow and arrow.

[GREENIE.]

Green had never been taught to fire a gun until he was on the streets alongside Gus who had been a war veteran. Gus had a good eye and almost never missed a shot. If only Green could've been as emotionless when he fired a gun. Instead, he avoided firearms entirely. He was agile. He could run quickly, climb high up and jump far - perhaps running away was what he was best at.

But, it wasn’t the only thing he was good at. Growing up, he’d found a keen fondness towards archery. His foster parents were eager for the young boy to learn for recreation; after all, it allowed for the troubled child to channel his pent up frustrations and surplus energy on something more useful. And, weekly practices turned to daily practices in no time, firing away in the garden, again and again and again. Stationary shots turned into moving shots through Green trotting through the backyard heroically before dramatically firing a shot.

Eventually, he became not too bad at archery.

He’d never used a bow and arrow as a weapon though.

Hands in his jean pockets, Green wandered over to where he noticed Mickey and Lysander together, the youngest of the three cocking his head to the side curiously as he noted the absence of the arrow on the target. That was okay - even Green missed sometimes. Green turned to glance at Mickey to give him a quick, reassuring smile whilst he listened to Lysander’s thoughts on the hobby. He raised his brows, amused, before turning his head to look towards the man. ❝ Oh, I know right? Bows are the worst... Arrows, on the other hand- ❞ He teased, huffing beneath his breath.

He then shrugged. ❝ I like it. It beats the sound of gunfire any day. Plus you can reuse the arrows if you can find them. ❞ He pointed out, wandering behind the target to fetch the arrow before returning to Mick and holding it out. ❝ Come stand a little closer to the target; it’ll be easier to get the hang of it. ❞ He assisted by resting his hand on Mickey's back to guide him a step or two closer to the target before eyes flitted over towards Lysander again, ❝ You ever tried archery before? ❞

[align=center][div style="width: 430px; text-align: justify; font-family:verdana; font-size: 7px;"][spoiler=tags : updated 03/23]basics.
✫ vernon jeremiah green // only known as green or greenie
✫ he doesn't introduce himself as vernon
✫ male // he/him
✫ twenty four // ages real time // born twenty first april
✫ leader of northstar district
✫ stepped up as leader - twentieth april 2039

appearance.
✫ faceclaim - taron egerton
✫ voice claim - taron egerton
✫ family originally comes from llanfairpwllgwyngyll in wales
✫ has a mixed accent with a welsh and american twang
✫ 5'10ft // lean yet well-built from working out
✫ soft blue eyes and dirty blonde hair
✫ physical health - 80%
    ¬ current injuries: he's recovering from a series of unexplained injuries.
✫ mental health - 60%
    ¬ he's currently recovering after a long term traumatic incident where he was being abused.

personality.
✫ fundamentally he has a good heart // humble
✫ very assertive // does what he can to benefit northstar
✫ has a good set of morals // cares for people unconditionally
✫ very relaxed and composed with self-assurance and confidence
✫ incredibly complacent and laid back unless he's fighting for his cause
✫ massive daredevil // is very into extreme sports
✫ fearless, stupidly so // doesn't mind risking his own life
✫ generally easy to get on with, it's difficult to dislike him
✫ doesn't think into the future // only thinks about the present
✫ dependable and very loyal to his friends

relationships.
✫ david green x cassandra griffiths // both are deceased
✫ only child // his biological father died before he was born
✫ green was orphaned when he was nine
✫ fostered by caroline and steve miles
✫ both his foster parents died when green was eleven
✫ his chihuahua and pug, midas and ginnie, are basically his children
✫ doesn't really label his sexuality // comfortable with who he is
✫ formerly dated fallon rude
✫ formerly dated paige montgomery
✫ formerly had a brief fling with winifred maddison
✫ has a daughter named felicity montgomery

interaction.
✫ storage // playlist // pinterest
✫ physically: medium // mentally: medium
✫ he has a bow and arrow, but tends to use it for recreation
✫ much prefers to run away // is exceptional at parkour
✫ very diplomatic and much prefers mediation rather than fighting
✫ dislikes confrontation yet will fight if need be // not a fan of close-ranged attacks
✫ foster parents taught him self-defense
✫ living on the streets turned him into a good fighter
[/spoiler]

[mickey]

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— “i’m shocked bows have still held up over all these years.” mick turned his head towards the newcomer, watching his eyes glance from him towards the empty target. if lysander wanted to poke fun at his archery skills - or lack thereof - he didn’t say anything. if anything his comments talking down about bows and arrows were more than welcome. eyes wandered towards green making his way over while lysander talked. the youngest’s comments helped to slightly better mick’s wounded pride.

green’s eyes also went towards the empty target, then back to mick. he offered a reassuring smile. mick shrugged, lips twitching briefly upwards at his own expense. “oh, i know right? bows are the worst… arrows, on the other hand-” mick didn’t even know what to say to that. as the other man huffed beneath his breath at his own joke, mick merely shook his head, pairing it with a subtle roll of his eyes as he looked away. he at least had to admire someone willing to laugh at their own jokes.

at least there was someone here with knowledge about bows and arrows. he listened as green talked about his fondness for the bow and arrow- and, to be fair, he had a fairly convincing case. he watched with grateful eyes, whispering a quiet “thank you” as the other man retrieved the arrow for him. “you make it look so easy,” he pointed out as he took the arrow, adding with a ghost of a smile, “it’s harder than i thought.”

“come stand a little closer to the target; it’ll be easier to get the hang of it.” green’s willingness to help was touching. he was used to trying to master weapons on his own, keep trying things differently until he got better results. it was nice having someone there to guide him and offer advice when he needed it. he was grateful. he let green rest a hand on his back and guide him a couple steps closer, huffing under his breath. here went nothing. setting up the bow and arrow, he listened absently to green’s question to lysander.

“you could try it out after this, if you’d like,” he offered, pausing before raising the bow, lining up the shot. then after a short breath he let go. this time, at least the arrow hit the target-- even if it was in the upper right side of it. “maybe you’ll have better luck,” he hummed, holding the bow out towards lysander.

[atticus]

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atticus's only real weapon had been his fists. he was an artsy fuck, all for love in place of violence, but when push came to shove, he could throw a solid one. be it against his father, or goddamn jessie stewart when he'd quite literally hurt his sister, atticus understood that there were occasions when words and reason failed, and he was scrappy enough to hold his own. better at taking punches than throwing them, sure, but he could wear just about anyone down eventually.

the sight of mickey with a bow and arrow, looking like some kind of ancient warrior man, drew atticus in closer. thus far, mickey had proven to be some sort of antithesis to atticus's extroverted self, but he seemed like a decent guy. stopping beside lysander, he tried his best to hold back a laugh at the man's comments, not wanting to disparage mickey. his eyes breezed over the back-and-forth between green and mickey, and a vague look of surprise passes over his face at mickey's genuine kindness, taking no offense to the joke and instead offering lysander a chance to try it himself. he appreciates this sort of kindness in other people, so rarely found nowadays.

[color=#53757f]"i say do it," he says, moving to give lysander a friendly nudge and an equally friendly grin, [color=#53757f]"ascend to your true disney princess self."

[LYSANDER]

[align=center][div style="0px; width:450px; height:auto; text-align: justify; font-size: 9pt; line-height:13px;"]Lysander offered Green a pity laugh at his comment, but then fell silent as he watched Green turn his attention onto Mickey, choosing to watch Green shift into a teacher, guiding the other man the best he could. He supposed that's what leaders did, but Lysander hadn't seen someone pay that much attention to another person in quite a while. It was nice, it was what made this place so comfortable, nobody had to fight for the top place on the pack. Their leader was someone who could guide them (in this case, literally). It was just safe here.

At Green's question, Lysander shrugged noncommittally, shifting his weight to his other foot before offering an answer. "Never had the chance. Not much of a weapons man, myself." He'd escaped out of foster care and ran as fast he could. There'd been no opportunity to practice something that required focus and concentration. Everything he learned about combat, he'd essentially learned as it was happening. As the arrow let loose, and landed on the target, Lysander shot a grin at Mickey, giving him a thumbs up. "Bet you'll be Robin Hood-ing it in no time at all."

He took the bow from Mickey despite the weird feeling he got when he had it in his hands. "Thanks. Hopefully the trees don't mind getting shot a few times." The guy meant well, and Lysander wasn't about to just dunk on a good time. Maybe it was just because he hadn't ever held one that wasn't a plasticky replica that had arrows with cups on the ends of them, Lysander wasn't sure. Digging Atticus back in the ribs, Lysander attempted his best Scottish accent as he stepped forwards to retrieve the arrow. "I'll be shootin' fer my own hand!"

Pulling the arrow out of the target, he examined the thing carefully. He'd never held one before, after all. After making it back to the others, Lysander turned, nocking the arrow with only average difficulty. "How do you keep the damn thing on..." Lysander muttered after the third time of raising the bow, only to have the arrow swing to the side. Looking over pointedly at Green and the others, Lysander screwed his face into an expression of I need help, golden eyes glittering with what he hoped was the best sad, pitiful expression he could make.

[GREENIE.]

Eyes lingered for a moment as Mick spoke to him, Green rolling his eyes lightly before glancing away with a small smile. Green made it look so easy? ❝ You’re just saying that, by the way, to get to this point. ❞ He retorted, walking closer to the other man to help. ❝ It’s taken a lifetime of practice. ❞ He then chose to add with a short laugh. As he helped guide Mickey, he was quick to focus all of his attention on him for that brief moment, flitting his gaze up at Mick before a smile twitched on his lips. ❝ Don’t forget what I told you last time. Hands… Like… Yeah, you got it. ❞ He finally stepped a couple of steps away as Mick readied himself to fire the arrow. ❝ Remember feet- ❞ Green quickly pointed out the positioning of his feet, before Mick fired a shot.

❝ Yes, Mickey! ❞ Green cheered as it hit the target - an improvement from last time. At Atticus’ comment, Green began to chuckle to himself. Yeah, perhaps this was a little Disney Princess-y, if that was even a word. ❝ Just you wait, Atti; you’re next. ❞ He commented playfully, wagging his brows before turning to look back towards Lysander.

❝ Oh- ❞ He stepped forward quickly, pointing around the bow and arrow in his hand as he explained. ❝ So this bow doesn’t actually have an arrow rest, so you’re gonna have to use your hand. ❞ Green explained, pushing the arrow to rest on top of Lysander’s hand. ❝ If you can’t keep it in place, just hold your pointer finger out to balance the arrow. Just don’t forget to get your finger out of the way when you draw back the arrow. We don’t want you losing a finger. ❞

He huffed before moving out of the way, gesturing towards him. ❝ Give it a go - what’s the worst that can happen? ❞ Well, Green just said the worst that could happen. Bad choice of words, Greenie.

[align=center][div style="width: 430px; text-align: justify; font-family:verdana; font-size: 7px;"][spoiler=tags : updated 03/23]basics.
✫ vernon jeremiah green // only known as green or greenie
✫ he doesn't introduce himself as vernon
✫ male // he/him
✫ twenty four // ages real time // born twenty first april
✫ leader of northstar district
✫ stepped up as leader - twentieth april 2039

appearance.
✫ faceclaim - taron egerton
✫ voice claim - taron egerton
✫ family originally comes from llanfairpwllgwyngyll in wales
✫ has a mixed accent with a welsh and american twang
✫ 5'10ft // lean yet well-built from working out
✫ soft blue eyes and dirty blonde hair
✫ physical health - 80%
    ¬ current injuries: he's recovering from a series of unexplained injuries.
✫ mental health - 60%
    ¬ he's currently recovering after a long term traumatic incident where he was being abused.

personality.
✫ fundamentally he has a good heart // humble
✫ very assertive // does what he can to benefit northstar
✫ has a good set of morals // cares for people unconditionally
✫ very relaxed and composed with self-assurance and confidence
✫ incredibly complacent and laid back unless he's fighting for his cause
✫ massive daredevil // is very into extreme sports
✫ fearless, stupidly so // doesn't mind risking his own life
✫ generally easy to get on with, it's difficult to dislike him
✫ doesn't think into the future // only thinks about the present
✫ dependable and very loyal to his friends

relationships.
✫ david green x cassandra griffiths // both are deceased
✫ only child // his biological father died before he was born
✫ green was orphaned when he was nine
✫ fostered by caroline and steve miles
✫ both his foster parents died when green was eleven
✫ his chihuahua and pug, midas and ginnie, are basically his children
✫ doesn't really label his sexuality // comfortable with who he is
✫ formerly dated fallon rude
✫ formerly dated paige montgomery
✫ formerly had a brief fling with winifred maddison
✫ has a daughter named felicity montgomery

interaction.
✫ storage // playlist // pinterest
✫ physically: medium // mentally: medium
✫ he has a bow and arrow, but tends to use it for recreation
✫ much prefers to run away // is exceptional at parkour
✫ very diplomatic and much prefers mediation rather than fighting
✫ dislikes confrontation yet will fight if need be // not a fan of close-ranged attacks
✫ foster parents taught him self-defense
✫ living on the streets turned him into a good fighter
[/spoiler]