fandomhigh | How To Shoot Straight, Monday

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gun range

How To Shoot Straight, Monday

"Your trip is next week," Atton said. "So I think this is as good a time as any to end the block on handguns."

They were in the gun range again. He was waving at... guns, yes.

"I want you guys to team up," he said. "One of you has to get the gun, go through all of the safety measures we've talked about, and score at least twenty-five points on the moving targets at the back of the range. The other one takes notes about their point score and whether they're doing everything correctly. Yes, you're allowed to correct each other, and if the other person does it right the second time, they pass. If the other person then behaves like a stubborn idiot and does it wrong anyway, they lose points."

He clapped his hands.

The little round targets at the back of the range - some marked '1 point', some '5 points', and occasionally, one '10 points' - started moving from side to side.

"When you're done, swap places. Okay, go."

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"I don't!" Alluka beamed at Ringo. "Do, do you have a partner?"

Maybe she was just saying hello?

"Not yet." Ringo smiled in relief.

"Will you be mine?"

There was a Valentine's Day joke in there somewhere, but Alluka didn't notice.

"Oh, yes, please! Did you want to go first?"

Yeah, Ringo was too nervous to catch it either.

She was too busy smiling a bit nervously and licking her lips. "Um, do you?" Because Ringo didn't want to say she didn't want to go first, but she totally didn't want to go first.

Alluka's expression shifted to something... a little more thoughtful. She was still smiling though.

"I can do it," Alluka said earnestly. "I don't mind."

Ringo was too busy being relieved to notice that little shift. She let out a little sigh without noticing.

"Awesome!" She grinned. "Though I don't know that I'll have much to say to correct you," she cautioned. She didn't feel that confident yet, after all.

"It's okay," Alluka said, smiling again, since Ringo seemed... weird. "I don't mind. I think I know what I'm doing here."

And it came easily to her, in any case.

"Good." Ringo nodded.

"And, I mean, I think I know enough to at least, you know take notes and stuff?" She had been paying attention to the lessons, and she'd always been good with mechanical things, so she felt like she knew stuff, but she still wasn't comfortable with it all.

Alluka looked at her.

"You're going to take notes on what I do?"

Ringo blinked, chewing on her lower lip for a moment.

"Um. Isn't that what he said the assignment was? One of us shoots, one of us takes notes and keeps score, and then we swap?"

"He said to keep score," Alluka said, tilting her head. "And, and to correct people if they're wrong."

But where was the notes part? Had she missed that?

"Oh, um." Ringo was only sort of sure she'd heard him say to take notes, and even if he had, maybe she'd misunderstood, so she just shrugged uncomfortably. "Maybe I misheard him? I mean," she managed a little smile, "I'm sure you're right. I'll just keep score."

Alluka frowned slightly.

"Are you okay, Ringo?"

Ringo had to reach up and feel her face to make sure she was smiling. And she was.

"Sure," she said, trying to sound bright rather than, well, slightly off. "I mean, why wouldn't I be?" After all, you weren't supposed to have nightmares or trouble sleeping after you went and rescued your senpai, right?

That was completely unconvincing--especially with having to check her smile.

"You don't have to tell me if you don't want to," Alluka said, watching Ringo. "And, and it's okay if you're not."

A beat.

"Let's head to the range."

The walk over to the range was quiet as Ringo thought about what Alluka had said. She'd tried to put up a front so that she wouldn't worry her friend, but it seemed that that wasn't working and she'd ended up worrying her anyway.

So, well, maybe it would be okay to talk about it, then? She kind of felt like she needed to.

It wasn't until they'd almost reached their destination that she spoke again. "I guess I'm, um, you know, not that okay."

Alluka glanced at her.

"I guessed that," she said. "Um, um, can I help?"

"I don't know," Ringo admitted with an attempt at a grateful smile.

"Do you, um, know of a good way to deal with nightmares?"

Alluka's nightmares had never been dealt with by anyone but her, locked in her room, by herself.

This was possibly not a conversation she was equipped to have.

"I think... I think you're supposed to talk about what's causing them," she said slowly.

"Oh."

But.

"With, um, who? I mean," she looked down at her hands. "I don't want to bother anyone." Or worry them.

Though it was kind of too late for that, Ringo.

"With a friend," Alluka said earnestly.

Though, but, Ringo didn't seem to be comfortable with that.

"Or... Or Papa Hannibal counsels people," she said. "I bet if you showed up he'd help you a lot. So, so you wouldn't be bothering anyone because it would be his job to care."

Ringo looked over at Alluka. "But I don't think my friends would want to hear about my nightmares."

She cocked her head. "I mean, would you?" She asked as if the answer was an obvious 'no'.

Alluka blinked at Ringo.

"Why wouldn't I?" she asked, confused. "It wouldn't be fun, but they're yours and they make you upset. So I want to listen to make you not upset."

Ringo blinked back, clearly surprised.

"Um. Really?"

Come on, Ringo. Why would Alluka lie?

"Yes, really," Alluka said, frowning at her. "You're my friend. Why wouldn't I listen?"

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Re: Find A Partner And Head To The Range

Re: Find A Partner And Head To The Range

Re: Find A Partner And Head To The Range

Re: Find A Partner And Head To The Range

Re: Find A Partner And Head To The Range

Re: Find A Partner And Head To The Range

Re: Find A Partner And Head To The Range

Re: Find A Partner And Head To The Range

Re: Find A Partner And Head To The Range

Re: Find A Partner And Head To The Range

Re: Find A Partner And Head To The Range

Re: Find A Partner And Head To The Range

Re: Find A Partner And Head To The Range

Re: Find A Partner And Head To The Range

Re: Find A Partner And Head To The Range

Re: Find A Partner And Head To The Range

Re: Find A Partner And Head To The Range

Re: Find A Partner And Head To The Range

Re: Find A Partner And Head To The Range

Re: Find A Partner And Head To The Range