He calls out 'a bit high' or 'on target' or whatever after each shot. "Great work! Three center hits. Let's turn the safety on, check that it's unloaded, and let someone else have a turn."

The rest of the shooting lesson goes smoothly enough, with two people at a time standing ready to fire.

Nick ends the lesson by demonstrating himself- Eight shots one after another, every single one of them right in the 'eyes' of the target.

"Congratulations everyone. I hope this lesson will keep you safe in the days ahead. It's about time for us to leave, we're not going to be sticking around with you all. Wynn and I are going to head back into town to see if anyone needs a lift, and then probably to New York."

After a while of this, Dave heads towards the center area of the workyard. "Alright everyone, gather round please! I've got something to say!"

There's a heavy note of command in his voice, and even Nick pauses where he's packing up the guns.

"It's been one hell of a day, but we've done it." Dave begins. "We made it to a safe place, and now we're going to figure out how to ride out this mess. We're safe here. You can relax here. Everyone's going to get some levels, and we're going to kick this so-called System's butt, you hear?"

The workers cheer. There's a sense of comfort and victory, and things suddenly don't seem quite so stressful or bleak. It is safe here. The walls are sturdy, there are scary men with guns, there's the scent of grilled meat wafting out of one of the buildings.

"So long as we work together and follow my lead, everyone's gonna make it out of this stronger. We'll all have to chip in to the group and help each other, but America is built on community. I think our new little community here has the potential to be a wonderful, wonderful thing."

It really does, doesn't it? John and Sam saved her life, a perfect stranger, just because. The kids need someone to cheer them up, and everyone here is ready to hurt or be hurt to protect each other. Not like her old family, they're actually acting kind to each other, in small touches and words of encouragement and kind hugs.

"For tonight, I've already set up a watch so everyone can get some sleep- But for now! Let me show you something amazing."

The Guildhouse "Dave's Landscaping" has been formed.

This is a Safe zone. Monsters may not spawn in this area.

A safe zone! Why would she ever want to leave? To go out there and be confronted with the danger of some horrible thing poisoning her at any moment, again?

"If you work, you get a safe place to sleep and eat! For you and your family. You'll even get Experience - I'm going to set up a Quest Board tomorrow, the System tells me it will let me reward people for doing the things we need done anyway. So let's all thank Mr. Nick and his niece, and wish them a good trip out. Then we can celebrate with a cookout! Unless you want to stay?"

A cookout, how wonderful! It's so kind of Dave to arrange that, isn't it? He'll take great care of everybody.

He looks at Nick. "Put your feet up a bit and have a beer, come on."

Nick shakes his head, frowning and looking - a little angry, actually? Certainly not like he considers Dave a friend, which is honestly rather rude of him, isn't it?

"No, we'd really best be off. I wouldn't turn down something for the road, though."

"Of course," Dave agrees with a nod. "And good luck out there."

At that, people start heading in towards the food, chattering excitedly.

So she doesn't get to have a gun now? Actually, that's a relief - her ears are still ringing.

"America" is the variance zone? A region in it? A region in the totally made up world she's in that's not a variance zone embedded in a copy of the familiar world...

Cool! She's still a little scared of Dave but he's okay.

(Hey, self, that was an unfair comparison to her family. Her siblings were nice, and even her father was usually pretty decent. She aspires to like everyone, not to build up her impression of some people at the expense of others.)

If Nick and Dave have a problem, maybe she can smooth it out, but obviously she's going to stand on Dave's side as long as she's here.

Before getting food, she swings by the group of children and addresses the female Man with them. "Do you want my help, sir? Ma'am? I don't have any formal training but I'm used to taking care of my siblings."