“You’re really going to fight me on this?”
“I wasn’t arguing, I was just being logical.”
@collins-boeke-blog / collins-boeke-blog.tumblr.com
“You’re really going to fight me on this?”
“I wasn’t arguing, I was just being logical.”
“Um, I think the machine here’s broken, but there are shops around every corner pretty much. Hey, Maggie.”
“I may have–but this isn’t last time, this is a better time!”
“Now could you just climb over the railing and next to the statue so I can take the picture, please?”
Collins gave an audible sigh before doing as was told, with somewhat of a struggle. “Is this fine, right here?” He said, turning around to look at the statue before looking back at Gui and dropping his arms to his sides.
“Just give me a minute,” Maggie replied, biting her lip and grumbling at the apparently broken GPS. Climbing from the car, she dug an old-fashioned map/atlas from the trunk and spread it on the hood, looking around for landmarks.
Collins gave a nod, but when he caught sight of the map, he took it from her and folded it neatly before placing it into his back pocket. “You’re a programmer, fix that.” He said simply to the raven haired team member as he pointed to the GPS. “I’ve seen you take a computer apart and restore what many would have thought was an unsalvageable hard drive. You can do it.”
“I swear there is a really good explanation for this, like really good, like my blog.”
“... Didn’t you say that last time too?”
I think I speak for everyone else taking this pilates class when I say…
Shut. The. Fuck. Up.
This… This boy the two of you are squabbling over? He’s not worth it. Now that that is sorted - shut up or get out.
... See, I came here cause every other workout seemed too violent or not violent at all. But I’ve just walked into a reality tv show, I think.
“No.. We’re just… adventuring…”
“Maggie, my amusement level has just dropped like seven levels.” He shook his head, a bit amused thought his statement was true.
Arina nodded, considering it. It wouldn’t hurt to at least know how to use the weapon, though she planned on never needing to use one. She shook her head, “I was actually looking someone, but they aren’t here and it doesn’t matter..I’m here now.” She agreed, glancing at the gun he had. “I..I mean I guess if you want to show me, it’d be a useful skill, right?” She asked, more trying to reassure herself than him.
Collins was admittedly a bit surprised at her reasoning for being in the facility. Though he didn’t take her for someone dangerous with less than convenient connections, but maybe she was friends with a seasonal hunter. “Especially in Rome. Step up to the mat...here.” He said, offering her the gun. “Just hold it, get a feel for it for a second.”
Arina smiled, a blush covering her cheeks. “The first one was pretty happy.” She agreed. “But I’d rather not play with weapons.” She added. Her eyes widened a bit more. “Give it a go? You..mean shoot a gun? I..” She hesitated, shaking her head. “I shouldn’t..I don’t know how.” She insisted.
“It’s not terribly difficult.” He assured her, purposely omitting his taking note of the heat that colored her features. “Besides, isn’t that why you’re here now? ... A gun range.” He motioned for her to approach as he picked up another gun he had brought, one with less recoil. “This one’s not loaded yet, I can help you with this one til you’re ready if you want.”
Arina smiled, nodding her head. “Yes, Arina.” She commented. “We’ve already had one accident together, let’s not make a second.” She laughed. She shook her head quickly, “Oh no..no no. I’ve never even held a gun.”
“Well I’d call the first a happy one.” Though the same wouldn’t apply to the deadly apparatus. “Really? You want to give it a go?” He asked before correcting the statement. “With a different gun. It’s really not too bad.” And it wasn’t, even though he’d had his own reservations towards the violent object in the beginning.
The cold material, heavy when his fingers curled around it to catch a good grasp on the lethal weapon, encountered his rough skin. A single moment he examined the gun, handing it back within a second or two. “You forgot to take the safety catch off.”
The lanky guy watched the other fidget with the gun for a mere few seconds before discovering the misfiring cause. “Oh.” Collins laughed the hot crimson that filled his cheeks off. “Don’t tell Cecile, she’d be incredibly frustrated with me. ...You wanna give it a go?”
“I…Collins, yes? I know nothing about guns..maybe if it’s jammed you should put it down? So there’s no accidental shootings?”
Collins turned to the vaguely familiar voice. “Arina.”He smiled, mostly at the fact that he had remembered her name. “Maybe.” He exhaled a laugh and took the cartridge out. “You shoot?”
“Jammed? Let me see.”
Collins handed the gun over, surprised at who joined him at the range. “Hey, Ben.” He said, aware of the fact that the man had been back. “It’s a new gun, I’m not sure why it’s been acting up.”
“No no, I swear my aim’s better now. I think it’s just jammed or something.”
“Oh shit. It wasn’t supposed to do that…”
“So you’re saying you just got us lost?”
“Do you think you’ll ever be ready?” Jane arched an eyebrow, his quiet laugh making her even more confused. Was he making fun of her? Because she wasn’t as good at comforting people as he expected, as she should’ve been? “But I know what it feels like to be left alone.” She whispered. It was a touchy subject, ex-lovers. Bringing it up was never easy, let alone reliving everything by talking about it. However, maybe knowing that he wasn’t the only one out there would somehow make him feel better. Jane realized, she didn’t want him to be as sad and bitter as she was. “Yeah. And you know what else? I miss the old-fashioned pumpkin pie too. It’s too bad we don’t celebrate Thanksgiving in Italy. … But I think that’s mainly because we can’t find anything to be thankful for.”
Collins gave a shrug at her inquiry. “I suppose I have to be.” So he nodded then, sure that things would be okay because that was the nice thing about time, it healed all sorts of wounds. And now he found himself talking to the blonde in a hospital, talking about him instead of her well being. “I don’t think I’ve ever had a proper Thanksgiving.” Not that he should have, considering he wasn’t an American in any sense of the word. “How about we have a pseudo-Thanksgiving this year, yeah. What do you say? Pumpkin pie and pumpkin carving and all the other delicacies.” He offered before taking another bit of the pie.