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Post by ƤαƖƖαѕ ✧ on May 28, 2017 9:00:52 GMT -5
"There are five hundred of us around the world. It doesn't sound like much for a global organisation but we're still in our early days. There are 25 people at this base at the moment, including me, but you won't have to meet them all. We do missions separately. My mission today was bringing you here, but we do get sent some pretty high-profile missions. We put together teams when necessary, but solo missions are easier." Elodia responded.
It was hard to explain how their little organisation worked, but she was sure he'd find out for himself soon enough. Things like this had to be experienced rather than explained. That was what Elodia had found during her time as a spy, anyway.
She couldn't help but think he looked good in the dim lighting. Really good. What was wrong with her? Hadn't she just told herself all of the reasons why thinking like this was a bad idea? She had to stop
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Post by thornshade on May 28, 2017 10:02:40 GMT -5
(sorry for the poof!)
Quinn was shocked at the mere 500 she spoke of. He was glad to learn he wouldn't have to meet everyone, albeit the fact that there were only 25 people. He supposed 6 was a little low of an estimate, but either way, it didn't matter. He was thrilled to be here - the prospect of becoming a spy was a little more exciting now that he knew he wasn't being kidnapped (or punished for his vigilantism).
With a sudden click and the stop of movement, the door of the elevator opened to his left. He was met with a view of a bustling headquarters - there was a circular HR desk and a projection of the globe just above it, with little red dots flitting here and there about the globe. The dark-haired boy figured they were the agent's positions around the world at that very moment. It was nice to know that there would always be someone (other than Michael) that was looking out for him when he had the potential to be in danger.
His eyes refocused on the scene before him and he realized there was a rather tall, dark-suited man standing just in front of the circular desk, whose eyes were trained directly on him and his companion.
"Who's that?" he asked Elodia, stepping out from the elevator onto the ground floor.
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Post by ƤαƖƖαѕ ✧ on May 28, 2017 10:28:44 GMT -5
(Idk who he should be so I went with this)
Elodia felt a little relieved to see the bustling headquarters again. It was just like home for her, very comforting and familiar.
Just when Elodia was about to explain who the man was, he approached the two of them.
"Sir," she greeted the man.
Elodia turned to Quinn before saying "This is our mission coordinator, David Hill. Mr Hill, Quinn Abner."
"Mission coordinator? I'm more like a glorified babysitter," the man replied "It's great that you are finally here, Mr Abner. Miss Lopez here was anxious that she be the one to bring you here."
Elodia blushed a little before explaining "I didn't want you to be alarmed with a face you weren't familiar with. You might not have come."
"Yes, well, that's all well and good, Miss Lopez," David responded "You ought to show Mr Abner his room, show him around, and then get started on training."
"Yes sir," Elodia replied
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Post by thornshade on May 30, 2017 7:44:47 GMT -5
Quinn could sense the ease that filled Elodia as he stole a glance at her while the man approached them. She seemed sure of herself, sure of who she was supposed to be in this place. He hoped he'd gain the same confidence in the coming days. Or maybe it would be weeks? Months? Oh well. Come what may, the prospects ahead for his life here seemed more interesting than he could imagine.
The dark-haired boy was comforted, too, by Hill's lax attitude - he suddenly seemed much more approachable, and his curiosity about Hill's job grew when he heard his comment about Elodia. Something inside him warmed when she blushed - he wondered if there was more to the story about him being selected for this position than just being Michael's closest mate.
"Good to meet you, Mr. Hill, sir," Quinn said with a nod of his head as Hill left them alone again.
He turned to Elodia, grinning. "So, I get my own room?" And how close is it to yours? he wanted to ask, but kept the thought to himself. "But, uh, first things first - what's this room we're in now? And where will I be training? I'd hate to get lost on the first day," he chuckled, a blush of embarrassment lighting his cheeks at the notion.
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Post by ƤαƖƖαѕ ✧ on May 30, 2017 8:00:09 GMT -5
Elodia smiled "This is our mission control room. We can monitor the positions of other agents and we can give them advice and assistance from here to help them with their missions."
She gestured over to some desks at one side of the room, where there were various desks with headsets on them. There were one or two teenagers sitting behind the desks, talking into the headsets.
"Looks like everyone else is training or out doing missions. I can show you to your room first if you want, then I'll show you where you will be training. And yes, you do get your own room. The dormitory wing is down in that direction"
She gestured towards a hallway which seemed more cosily decorated and more dimly lit than the areas of the building already seen. That was where they slept.
She looked to Quinn to see what he wanted to do. She didn't think he would want to go say hi to the kids on the headsets, and they were clearly very busy anyway, staring at screens with intense concentration. He might want to go to his room first or check out the training areas, she wasn't sure. She had decided to give him the option and see what he would want to do.
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Post by thornshade on May 30, 2017 8:12:04 GMT -5
Quinn was amazed at the extent to which the teenagers were focused - it seemed like their lives depended on it. Actually, that may be quite true, he thought after a moment. He figured it was best not to disturb them.
He headed towards the hallway, which seemed far different than the pristine, sharp-edged and technologically-advanced quarters he'd seen from the organization so far. It felt more like home, really. He figured the job was stressful - everyone probably needed a break, from time to time, so that it didn't get into their heads. He knew it was hard to get back into the swing of things after he'd spent a night in the headspace that he used when he and Michael worked together.
"I'll check out my room first - then we can start training, eh? Which room is mine?" he called to Elodia, looking back at her with a grin. This was great - he hoped his digs would be as homely as the corridor was.
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Post by ƤαƖƖαѕ ✧ on May 30, 2017 8:31:52 GMT -5
Elodia nodded "Sure. You're room 50, I believe. It should be all unlocked for you and everything. Once you're inside you can set a special passcode so only you can access it."
As they walked down the corridor she stopped outside of a room just on the other side of the hall from room 50 and a few doors down - room 45.
"If you need me at all, by the way, that's my room," Elodia said, gesturing towards it with a thumb "If you knock I'll probably be there, or else training"
Moments later, though, they stopped outside of a little room with its doors propped open. It looked quite comfortable and warm. As homely as the corridor outside. There was a keypad both inside and outside the door so that Quinn could set his own passcode which he could use to move in and out of the room.
"This is your room, Quinn," Elodia said "You can come here at any point - during free time, of course."
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Post by thornshade on May 30, 2017 8:46:19 GMT -5
Quinn was please Elodia wouldn't be too far out of reach - he had to admit that it was quite nice to have a friendly face around. His room - 50 - was as cozy as ever. The rooms were forest green, and there was a little bookshelf and a great speaker system. He also spied a mini basketball hoop hanging on the edge of the door to what he assumed was his bathroom.
The broad-shouldered boy turned his back to Elodia for a moment to type enter a passcode. He figured it shouldn't be super obvious or easily discovered, so rather than the day he got a black-eye or his mom's birthday or even his own birthday, he picked the day his family adopted their dog, Ace, who slept only under his bed back home. The room seemed too clean, too sterile, without him. But home it would become, wouldn't it?
"This is awesome - the hoop is a nice touch, don't you think?" he smirked at Elodia. "Now I'd better get changed for training - but you're welcome to stay and watch, if you'd like."
Quinn's insides squirmed as he suddenly realized what he'd said. It had felt so natural, coming from his lips. God, what was happening to him?
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Post by ƤαƖƖαѕ ✧ on May 30, 2017 8:55:22 GMT -5
Elodia laughed "I'll wait in my room, thanks. I have to get changed myself. You can come get me when you're done. Room 45, remember? I believe there will be some clothes for you in the wardrobe"
With that, she left and headed to her own room, which was forest green just like all the others but which she had made home with posters and decorations.
She was wearing jeans and a t-shirt, which was what she had required to blend in at the shopping centre, but decided to change now into the more athletic clothes she would need for training. She was soon wearing some black yoga pants, and a light grey tank top layered over a brighter pink sports bra. This would be fine for training. Casual, but perfect for exercising. Just what she needed.
With this done she waited for Quinn to be finished changing and knock on her door. As she waited she fixed her hair into a ponytail to keep it out of her way.
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Post by thornshade on May 30, 2017 9:30:17 GMT -5
When Elodia left - much to Quinn's chagrin - he moved towards the wardrobe and shifted through the clothing for a moment before settling on a gray muscle tee and some black joggers. He had no idea what he'd be getting into, exactly, but knew it would be physical if Elodia had told him correctly. He pulled on some black Nikes he found in the bottom of the wardrobe and stole a quick glance at his hair in the mirror hanging on the wall by the entrance to his bathroom. The door shut with a click as he moved towards Elodia's room - number 45, he remembered - and knocked quickly. "Hey, you ready?" he called, his voice eager with anticipation.
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Post by ƤαƖƖαѕ ✧ on May 30, 2017 9:36:30 GMT -5
Elodia quickly typed in her passcode as soon as she heard his knocking and pulled open the door to see Quinn waiting there, ready in his workout clothes.
She smiled "Yup, I'm ready. Come on, I'll show you the training area. There's a gym and a shooting range and things like that. Basically everything you could want. We could use the shooting range if you want or we could go over some hand-to-hand combat. Whatever you want to do. I really don't mind."
They passed through the mission control room again before reaching another corridor. This one was smaller and had only a few doors; one was to a shooting range, one was to a room filled with areas to practice hand-to-hand combat and martial arts and the third was filled with gym equipment.
"Welcome to the training area," Elodia said with a grin "Possibly the most fun part of the whole building. I'm going to put you through quite the workout over your time here. Today you get to choose what you want to practise. Pick your poison."
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Post by thornshade on May 30, 2017 9:58:19 GMT -5
Quinn found himself once again admiring Elodia as the walked, and still he chided himself. Dang it, Abner, this had gotta stop. She's not worth it. Don't waste your time with her.
But those yoga pants were making him crazy. As he ran a hand through his hair and focused in on the world around him, he suddenly came to the realization they'd reached the training room. It was massive. And full of equipment. Really nice equipment. He was thrilled - he could work out like he'd always wanted to, now that he didn't have school or his other job to worry about. The shooting range was impressive, but he figured he'd best make a good impression. So he opted for hand-to-hand combat.
"Let's start with hand-to-hand, Elodia. I think I have a better chance at winning there than I do with beating you on the shooting range. Besides, I know some basics, I think - otherwise I wouldn't be able to do my nightjob, eh?" he said, his eyebrows raised eagerly as he glanced down at her.
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Post by ƤαƖƖαѕ ✧ on May 30, 2017 10:07:42 GMT -5
[Lol I love these two]
Elodia nodded "Sure, why not?"
She pushed open the door to the practice room for hand to hand combat, where there were several large training mats, thickly padded to prevent injury if someone fell on them. Which happened to be extremely often.
Several teenagers were training in here. There were about eight, all fighting in pairs on the mats. They were all fighting in different styles. Elodia led the way to the free mat at the back.
"Okay, Quinn. What do you want to do? Boxing, kickboxing, karate? Or just a good old-fashioned street fight? I can do all of them." Elodia asked
She knew he thought he had a decent chance of winning here, but Elodia felt fairly sure that she had the better chance. She had trained in many different techniques and she knew how to use his strength against him,
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Post by thornshade on May 30, 2017 10:18:22 GMT -5
As he followed Elodia, his desire to impress grew. He knew he had a fighting chance at winning her, if nothing else.
But then he noticed the others in the room - all fighting in ways he'd only seen on film or in the comic books Michael was always badgering him to read. Maybe he was more screwed than he thought? He was glad she'd picked a mat at the back; it was less likely someone would notice him then. He didn't need the whole world watching him fight in the light. He'd always preferred to fight with the darkness on his side, and in cramped corners, where he could use the object surrounding him to his advantage. Now, he was just himself, a body on a padded mat (which he though he could see specks of blood on?).
"Let's stick with street fighting - I've only ever seen any other styles in the media. I've never really beat anyone using kickboxing," he responded with a sly smile.
He shifted to one end of the mat, still grinning. "Ready? Here goes," he said, not waiting for a response, his back bent and a fist flying for jaw while his knee jerked upward towards her curved hips.
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Post by ƤαƖƖαѕ ✧ on May 30, 2017 10:27:29 GMT -5
Elodia didn't have time for a response before he started to fight, but she still wasn't caught by surprise. The move he had chosen was excellent - a double whammy attack which was designed to potentially break her jaw before forcing her to fall to the ground after his attack to her hip. But Elodia was far too well-trained to fall for such a trick.
She braced herself and stuck out her hand to meet his punch, knee bent behind her to stop her moving backwards. His hand would not get any closer to her face. At the same time, she twisted her hips to avoid his jerking knee.
With the hand that was wrapped around his wrist, she released his fist momentarily to grab his elbow to pull him in closer to her before putting two hands on his shoulders. From that position, she tried using her knee to injure him in...a very painful area.
She knew her own attack here wasn't without its counter attack, but Elodia was trying her best to stay one step ahead. it would be embarrassing for her to be beaten by him in their first training session. Even if she did think he wouldn't stand a chance against her in a real fight, where she didn't have to stick to one fighting style.
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Post by thornshade on May 30, 2017 10:34:56 GMT -5
Quinn was shocked when Elodia countered his movement so effectively. It almost always worked against the cronies he fought in the alleyways; broken jaws always ended a fight before it could really get underway. Her hands were forceful against his shoulders and he saw her knee headed for him - he could only shift so it was less direct, but still took some of his strength away.
With a soft moan, he mustered the rest of his strength and tried to shove her to meet the mat with one arm on against her chest while his other kept a grip on her chin. He prayed that the fight wasn't over before it had really begun, hoping he could use her loss of balance to his advantage and keep her down.
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Post by ƤαƖƖαѕ ✧ on May 30, 2017 10:42:10 GMT -5
Elodia stumbled and almost fell. As she stumbled she made sure to whip her leg in one direction in the hopes of catching Quinn off balance before he could take advantage of her loss of balance. If she could get him to lose balance or to fall, she would have the advantage once again.
She regained her balance by this point and took the opportunity to lower her centre of gravity so he couldn't make her lose balance so easily again. She had to win this fight to show him that she was a force to be reckoned with, whether he was a male, and thus generally stronger, or else. Elodia was an extremely effective fighter, and she knew Quinn must be as well. Elodia could only hope that she could still teach him a lesson or two.
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Post by thornshade on May 30, 2017 10:49:49 GMT -5
Quinn's leg flew out from underneath him before he had the chance to realize what was happening. His grip on her was lost as he fell, landing on the mat with a thud as he desperately fought to get to his feet faster than Elodia could land another blow on him.
This was a trainwreck. He couldn't fight like this, just body against body, and win. His confidence was crumbling. Elodia was stronger than she looked, and her movements were smoother than the men he'd fought in the alleyways. He'd become accustomed to one style, a style that wouldn't help him here. He had to think faster - think like Elodia did - to beat her. What to do next?
He lunged for her legs, arms outstretched, aiming to drag her down beside him and finish her with a fist to the gut.
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Post by ƤαƖƖαѕ ✧ on May 30, 2017 10:54:35 GMT -5
Elodia had been about to land another blow when her legs were dragged out from under her and she hit the floor with a small gasp and a thud. She'd been taken by surprise.
But she was better than this. Before he could hit her with that fist to the gut she aimed a kick to his side, hoping she could finish him off here on the ground before he could get to her. And to do it without the two of them aimlessly flailing about on the floor.
She was utterly determined, and she was one step ahead. She hadn't had months and months of training to be beaten this easily. It wasn't going to happen.
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Post by thornshade on May 30, 2017 11:04:28 GMT -5
Who knew one kick in the side could leave him floored? Elodia had knocked the wind out of him, his chest heaving as he landed on his back and glanced up at her through slitted eyes. He gave a weak attempt at shoving her off his chest, but failed to do so effectively and gave one last feeble attempt and jerked his knee towards her stomach before cradling his head in his arms.
"Okay, sweetheart, you win," he said, the words falling from his lips in a rush as he caught his breath.
She had beaten him, dang it. But, he told himself, he could only go upward from here. The best part of being at the bottom - if there was such a thing - was that he could only improve. And now he had the drive to, if nothing else. He'd beat Elodia before their time here in training was over. He had to prove himself.
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Post by ƤαƖƖαѕ ✧ on May 30, 2017 11:09:58 GMT -5
Elodia grinned as she clambered away from him, standing up and offering him a hand to stand up.
"Hey, don't feel bad about it. I've had a lot of training. It's my job over these next few days, weeks, whatever, to make you able to beat me. I want you to have me covered in bruises by the end of your time here."
Once he was standing up, she directed him to a point in the mat.
"First thing is your fighting stance. I need to see your default position when you're fighting. It's your most important part. I failed to go into the correct fighting stance, which is why I lost my balance so easily. So go into your best fighting stance."
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Post by thornshade on May 30, 2017 11:20:18 GMT -5
Quinn took her offered hand and wiped the sweat from his brow. He could sense her pleasure at having won and was glad he'd given her that despite the scrappy fight.
Her words reassured him and he felt himself grow more excited about the prospect of seeing her bruised and beaten - not in the sense that'd he lord over her or anything, but in the sense that he'd moved on from the prospects today had brought him.
His light eyes followed her direction and he listened eagerly to her instructions. He could do this. This was the easiest part.
He squared his shoulders and his feet spread apart to match the distance, and he kept his left foot in front of the other as he'd become accustomed to doing. He bent his back slightly, his head lowered, and kept one hand loosely in a fist, while his other hand subconsciously floated towards his pocket.
"I'd usually keep a knife on hand, so that's why I'd rest it here," he explained quickly. "But since I haven't got one now, I'm not quite sure where this goes," he chuckled.
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Post by ƤαƖƖαѕ ✧ on May 30, 2017 11:27:49 GMT -5
Elodia circled around him, nodding in approval.
"This is pretty good, Abner. Not bad. But..."
She continued to circle around him, grabbing his arms and adjusting his posture. She hooked her leg around one foot and pulled it slightly forward, continuing to make small adjustments until she was satisfied.
"There. Minute changes, but I think you'll find yourself a lot steadier. For example..."
She tried to do the same whipping motion across his legs that had caused him to lose balance before, knowing it would fail this time. For the smallest of changes to his stance, he would be twice as steady as he had been previously.
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Post by thornshade on May 30, 2017 11:39:58 GMT -5
He was pleased at how much he liked to feel Elodia's eyes on him, and even more surprised when she'd praised him. Maybe he wasn't as bad as he'd thought he was after all.
He liked the feeling of her warm hands against his chest as she straightened his back, the uncanny way she hooked her leg around his own - oh, God help me, he thought. This can't be happening. I'm not getting back into this mess.
Quinn was pleased when he was able to keep his balance; he knew the same motion earlier had him moaning on the mat within seconds. He felt more stable, more ready to keep his defense on point. He liked this - learning how to fight effectively. For a split second, he wished Michael was with him to train, too.
He turned his gaze towards Elodia, grinning. "You're right. This works quite well, actually. I feel better already. So what's next? Should I be working on strength training, or something? Because it's been a while since I've faced someone who's as strong - or even stronger - than me. You'd be surprised at the amount of old white guys who turn to crime to make a living," he joked.
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Post by ƤαƖƖαѕ ✧ on May 30, 2017 11:52:28 GMT -5
"We can if you want to," Elodia smiled "We can hit the gym for that if you like. Or we could keep working on your fighting strategy, or we could hit the shooting range. Today, you're completely in charge of the training. It gives me a feel for where you feel you need to improve so I can help you to become a better fighter. We need you to be as prepared as possible for what is to come."
She was once again giving him free rein and she waited for his reply as she brushed some sweat away from her forehead. Funny. she didn't normally sweat like that when she was fighting. She knew what was happening, but she stubbornly refused to acknowledge it. This was not going to happen. Even if he did like her back, a relationship between the two of them would be distracting as hell at a time when they didn't need distractions. Not only that, but she figured it would probably crash and burn anyway.
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Post by thornshade on May 30, 2017 12:02:19 GMT -5
"Well, I can do strength training on my own, so let's try the shooting range. I've never shot anything before, but I've gotta try it at some point, eh?" he grinned.
As he turned to head back towards the shooting range, he paused, meeting Elodia's gaze as he waited for her to catch up. "Hey, I just wanted to say, well - thanks. It means more than I'd like to admit that I'd still come to mind when you think about someone you'd trust for this job. Thanks for believing in me, is what I'm trying to say, I guess," he said, a blushing lighting his cheeks as he smiled at her.
God, he was blushing. This was a mess - a lovely mess. Keep it together, dude.
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Post by ƤαƖƖαѕ ✧ on May 30, 2017 12:20:37 GMT -5
Elodia blushed too as she left the practice rooms with him. This was surprising for her, seeing such vulnerability from Quinn. How unexpected.
"Well, you're welcome," Elodia smiled, "I think... I know... you'll be just perfect. You're already showing a lot of promise"
Once inside the shooting range, where several teenagers were training, a girl approached the two. Tall and slim, this girl was incredibly pale, with skin covered with freckles and bright red hair.
"Lopez!" the girl said, greeting Elodia, before looking Quinn up and down "Who's this, then? The new guy?"
Elodia smiled "Quinn Abner, this is Lauren Michaels. She's the one who recruited me. She's pretty good with a gun."
"'Pretty good'?!" Lauren proclaimed in mock annoyance "I'm wounded. My eye is just as sharp as yours"
Elodia chuckled "Yes, but you can't handle a gun that well. You stick to kickboxing - you're the best in the agency at that"
Once Lauren had left the pair alone, Elodia pulled Quinn over to an area with some targets on the walls and grabbed a pair of guns, passing one to Quinn.
"Don't understimate Lauren, by the way," Elodia replied "She might look like a redheaded Barbie, but she's knocked out guys twice her size on morfe than one occasions. Knocked me out with her kickboxing a fair few times too. ANyway, let's practice some shooting. Fire your gun at the targets."
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Post by thornshade on Jun 5, 2017 2:49:10 GMT -5
(hey there so I'm about to go to an honors program for a couple weeks and won't be active on here until early July but once I get back I'd love to continue this rp with you if you're still down to do it)
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Post by ƤαƖƖαѕ ✧ on Jun 5, 2017 11:00:33 GMT -5
[Hey! No problem, I totally get it! I hope it all goes well for you x]
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Post by thornshade on Jun 16, 2017 11:14:13 GMT -5
(hey girl! it's been awhile! but I found some free time so I'd figured I'd try and reply ) Quinn's chest puffed with pride at Elodia's praise, though he found himself wishing he didn't value her praise so much. Just friends. Just a job. Just training. That's all this was, right? As soon as Quinn caught sight of the red-headed girl, his skin began to crawl as she gave-him a once over. She seemed nice enough - and a little cocky. Elodia was prettier than she was, anyway. He liked watching the casual banter between the two; their companionship seemed so natural, so simple. It reminded him of Mikey, if he was totally honest with himself. That's why he was here - for Michael's sake, not his own. He watched Lauren go and was content to be alone with her again - he didn't need the whole world watching him fail. He glanced at the small pile of handguns and picked the least intimidating. Crashing and burning in front of Elodia wasn't his first choice. He positioned him arm and took aim, the feeling of the cold steel underneath his fingertips feeling unnatural. Quinn let out a breath, then took aim and fired, missing the center by a longshot. "Dang," he chuckled, "this is harder than it looks."
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