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ClockworkCadence
Planetoid
- Joined
- Aug 8, 2017
Olivia kept up her diligent note-taking, enraptured by watching the variety of techniques (and apparent non-techniques) of her classmates. In the interim between bouts, she reflected on her own match, considering the ways she could improve if the opportunity ever arose for a rematch. After copious amounts of ketchup had been spilled and maybe only one or two egoes bruised, their scoreboard stared them all down. The reactions ranged from sullen expressions to inflated pride, and as usual, Olivia's emotional response appeared only in the pages of her notebook. She noted down what was possibly the first glimpse into Sherlin's obscure grading system, glad to have some frame of reference as she attempted the mental gymnastics of trying to estimate an average number of points earned in a day versus how many days they had left.
She'd hardly registered the shift in the room until she looked up at the source of the slight shadow that fell upon her desk. Callum stood there, looking down at her curiously as he tousled his ginger hair. "Must have been some training, if you learned how to move like that."
"You're one to talk," She leaned back a little in her seat to look up at him properly. "Boxing, I'm guessing?"
He nodded, placing a hand down on the corner of her desk, leaning casually. "Youngest of four brothers, not to mention a pretty scary little sister. Had to survive somehow." His shoulders lifted a bit, along with the corners of his lips. "What about you? I couldn't quite figure out your style."
She huffed out a laugh. "Probably because I've learned a little bit all over. Just kind of joined in with whatever classes I could find in whatever country I found myself in."
"Ever the eclectic one," he commented with a teasing look that melted into something more sincere. "What got you wanting to see every corner of the world, anyway?"
Her eyes slid to the shooting range. "Part for me and my wanderlust, part so I have some good stories for my sister."
"Give me your best, then."
"That," she started with a shake of her head, "would be best saved for the next trip to a pub."
"You're saying the first didn't scare you away from the idea?"
"Hard to keep me away from good food," she said, arms crossing before she gave him a devious look. "will probably skip the ketchup this time, though."
A warm laugh burst out of him, patting her desk once before turning to face the range, tilting his head towards the professor. "Any chance he'll be shooting a paintball gun with mustard ammunition?"
"A non-zero chance, I'd say." She took in the sight of her classmates slowly milling towards their assigned stations. Angier had already sat in the chair at his table, subtly rubbing at his hip with a grimace. Alfred sat at his station as well, dutifully polishing his new gun. Helen peered down the range, practicing her stability and aim. Ryan attempted flashy quick-draws. Marina and Marcus both stood uneasily just outside of the range, huddled together and talking as if they could scheme a way out of the next part of class. Olivia nodded in their direction. "Might make them a little less nervous to shoot if they could use paintballs, honestly."
"If they'd ever been hit with one of them before, it'd make them more nervous."
One of her eyebrows quirked up. "Bad experience?"
"Four brothers and the force of nature that is Celica," Callum reminded her with not-entirely-mock horror. "Of course."
"Is she really all that terrifying?" Olivia asked, trying to reconcile the image of a little redheaded girl with a plant with Callum's image of a monstrous tyrant.
"Next time you see her, ask her how I got this scar," he tapped a finger against his temple, highlighting the shade-paler jagged line there.
Olivia stood, stretching a little before wandering down to the range with him. "Sounds like you have some stories for the next pub trip, too."
Callum grinned. "One or two."
Olivia smirked, glancing down the aisle of the range, her brain beginning to switch over to the task ahead. "You ever tell anyone stories from this class yet?"
"God, no. They'd never believe me."
She'd hardly registered the shift in the room until she looked up at the source of the slight shadow that fell upon her desk. Callum stood there, looking down at her curiously as he tousled his ginger hair. "Must have been some training, if you learned how to move like that."
"You're one to talk," She leaned back a little in her seat to look up at him properly. "Boxing, I'm guessing?"
He nodded, placing a hand down on the corner of her desk, leaning casually. "Youngest of four brothers, not to mention a pretty scary little sister. Had to survive somehow." His shoulders lifted a bit, along with the corners of his lips. "What about you? I couldn't quite figure out your style."
She huffed out a laugh. "Probably because I've learned a little bit all over. Just kind of joined in with whatever classes I could find in whatever country I found myself in."
"Ever the eclectic one," he commented with a teasing look that melted into something more sincere. "What got you wanting to see every corner of the world, anyway?"
Her eyes slid to the shooting range. "Part for me and my wanderlust, part so I have some good stories for my sister."
"Give me your best, then."
"That," she started with a shake of her head, "would be best saved for the next trip to a pub."
"You're saying the first didn't scare you away from the idea?"
"Hard to keep me away from good food," she said, arms crossing before she gave him a devious look. "will probably skip the ketchup this time, though."
A warm laugh burst out of him, patting her desk once before turning to face the range, tilting his head towards the professor. "Any chance he'll be shooting a paintball gun with mustard ammunition?"
"A non-zero chance, I'd say." She took in the sight of her classmates slowly milling towards their assigned stations. Angier had already sat in the chair at his table, subtly rubbing at his hip with a grimace. Alfred sat at his station as well, dutifully polishing his new gun. Helen peered down the range, practicing her stability and aim. Ryan attempted flashy quick-draws. Marina and Marcus both stood uneasily just outside of the range, huddled together and talking as if they could scheme a way out of the next part of class. Olivia nodded in their direction. "Might make them a little less nervous to shoot if they could use paintballs, honestly."
"If they'd ever been hit with one of them before, it'd make them more nervous."
One of her eyebrows quirked up. "Bad experience?"
"Four brothers and the force of nature that is Celica," Callum reminded her with not-entirely-mock horror. "Of course."
"Is she really all that terrifying?" Olivia asked, trying to reconcile the image of a little redheaded girl with a plant with Callum's image of a monstrous tyrant.
"Next time you see her, ask her how I got this scar," he tapped a finger against his temple, highlighting the shade-paler jagged line there.
Olivia stood, stretching a little before wandering down to the range with him. "Sounds like you have some stories for the next pub trip, too."
Callum grinned. "One or two."
Olivia smirked, glancing down the aisle of the range, her brain beginning to switch over to the task ahead. "You ever tell anyone stories from this class yet?"
"God, no. They'd never believe me."