The Jumping Geordie

*Drops the gun he’s attempting to clumsily reload like a live grenade by accident as the clattering echoes hollowly through the empty firing range. He has his eyes closed tight at the racket, hands clamped on the ear mufflers he’s wearing before he shakily removes them with a small grin*

God, you scared me Nev! Salam, my friend *Pulls the man close so they can bump foreheads for a bit in greeting before he kneels down and picks up pieces of the weapon*

You make a good argument, Nev. I try to tell myself that he’s been having it hard lately, but man’s just got a habit of pushing it where I’m concerned especially out of the ring. If he thinks I will not hit back, well, he’s half right. Just half though. 

*Raising the gun, he positions it in a straight line and takes on a firing stand, head tilted to a side slightly*

Thirty, twenty-nine, twenty-eight, twenty-seven, twenty-six, twenty-five….

*He licks his lips anxiously, fingers positioning themselves carefully over the butt and handle of the weapon and discreetly avoiding the hammer which he he knows ricochets backwards after each shot.*

Fifteen, fourteen, thirteen, twelve, eleven, ten……

*For the fraction of a second, he closes his eyes tightly, grimacing as he squeezes the trigger but at the very last moment his he opens them and glares steadily at the target ahead, the expression on his features growing hard*

Five, four, three, two….

Focus. 

One. 

*The loud sound akin to that of a thunderclap echoes throughout the empty firing range and as it dies down, he feels the rattling in his bones finally settle. Placing the gun down, there’s the crank and whirr of wire and machinery as the target is brought closer to to them for a better view.*

Ahhh….

*His eyebrows are raised, alarmed by the outcome and the manner in which he touches the fresh hole on the target lodged in its neck is almost reverent. There’s a fleeting moment of deep sadness settling upon weary features which lasts in the blink of an eye as the smile quickly returns and he removes the mufflers altogether, throwing a glance over his shoulders to where Adrian is standing*

Well it’s definitely better than my last few attempts. That…

*He gesticulates a bit, emptying the gun and setting it’s safety back on*

And I'd say good on ya. No need to let him think you'll be his punching bag.

*He steps back when Sami raises the gun and observes as his friend stares at the front sight and adjusts his hold as he focuses. Once he realizes that Sami is really going to shoot, he covers his ears, barely flinching when it goes off* Let's see...

*He leans in to get a better look at the target as it draws forward. At the sight of the hole in the neck, he whistles. He shifts his weight as he gives Sami a long look*

Well, keep goin' like this and soon no one'll be able to say a word about you.

*Drops the gun he’s attempting to clumsily reload like a live grenade by accident as the clattering echoes hollowly through the empty firing range. He has his eyes closed tight at the racket, hands clamped on the ear mufflers he’s wearing before he shakily removes them with a small grin*

God, you scared me Nev! Salam, my friend *Pulls the man close so they can bump foreheads for a bit in greeting before he kneels down and picks up pieces of the weapon*

How it is Claudio manages to this in less than ten seconds is beyond me. I’m trying, Adrian, I swear. It’s just….

*He unwraps the wrist tape which goes over his hand to reveal the ugly-looking healing slide bite cutting into the flesh between his forefinger and thumb*

A little harder than I expected, that’s all. Still a little clumsy with the recoil. Between this little troublemaker and Tyson, I’m not sure who I would rather deal with, but at least this one has the upside of not being able to talk back, yes?

*Affording himself a small laugh, he gestured with a hint of embarrassment at the target ahead, several rounds punching holes in the sides and bottom——anywhere else but the head and chest*

No one can do it as fast as Claudio can. That's just a fact o' life. I'm pretty sure that he lives by the words "anything you can do, I can do better".

*as Sami shows his the bit, Adrian whistles* Ye did a real number to yourself, Sami. And yeah, this one can't talk back, but you can at least hit Tyson in the face. Although this one you can put away when you're done. Pros and cons, you know. 

Sami, Sami. *stares at the target with a raised eyebrow. He considers what to say, running his tongue over his teeth* Well, fer one, while you're gettin' the basics, make sure you're workin' on your accuracy before your speed. Claudio probably told you this, but you have ta make sure you focus on that front sight. Try to focus on the front sight without firing for thirty seconds, lower the gun, then bring it back up again to do the same thing. I've also heard a tip from one of the trainers--you can try practicin' with a pen.

*Drops the gun he’s attempting to clumsily reload like a live grenade by accident as the clattering echoes hollowly through the empty firing range. He has his eyes closed tight at the racket, hands clamped on the ear mufflers he’s wearing before he shakily removes them with a small grin*

God, you scared me Nev! Salam, my friend *Pulls the man close so they can bump foreheads for a bit in greeting before he kneels down and picks up pieces of the weapon*

Not hard to do when you're focusin' as hard as you were. *can't resist a grin as they share a head bump in greeting. He settles with his hands in his pockets as he watches Sami pick up the pieces*

*one eyebrow raises* From the looks of it, you need all the practice you can get. Can't let every li'l sound shock you when you're holdin' that thing.

Ah, the man mother nature ignored when passing around the good looks has seen fit to come back down to earth to talk to us little people. Joy.

And yes, I am aware of how many people I would have to deal with if something or someone so much as plucked a hair out of her head. Are you adding yourself to that list, because quite frankly it doesn’t make a difference to me. The total amount of intimidation I feel doesn’t vary in the least.

As much as I'd love to let you have your little chance to proof yourself, I've got Titus O'Neill to look forward to this week.

Adding myself to the long queue does sound inviting, but I think you'll do something else to make me want to give you my personal little face lift before something happens to her.