Shooting range: Wednesday lunch time

[anextimeagent.livejournal.com]

Jack was looking very amused as he opened the range and posted the rules:

SAFETY RULES:

· TREAT ALL GUNS AS IF THEY WERE LOADED

· KEEP YOUR FINGER OFF THE TRIGGER UNTIL READY TO FIRE

· BE SURE OF YOUR TARGET AND WHAT’S BEYOND

· ALWAYS WEAR HEARING AND EYE PROTECTION

· NEVER USE ALCOHOL OR DRUGS BEFORE OR WHILE SHOOTING.

· CHECK IN ALL WEAPONS BEFORE YOU LEAVE THE RANGE.


He was shooting while he waited for Irulan, concentrating on speed and accuracy, figuring more practice before the weekend's little jaunt could only be a good thing.

[ooc: Jack's here for Irulan, but open for all your weapony or inspectiony needs. Work promises to be GAH so I may be slow.]

Comments

[irulan-atreides.livejournal.com]

Irulan arrived in the range looking frazzled for the first time in her life.

[anextimeagent.livejournal.com]

Jack spotted Irulan, clicked on the safety, put down the gun, and kind of stared at her. She looked very different than Jack was used to seeing her. "Everything okay?" he called, pushing his ear protectors back.

[irulan-atreides.livejournal.com]

And this would be the first time Irulan would seem sulky, "I had to battle with my desk lamp, cursed thing."

[anextimeagent.livejournal.com]

Jack didn't laugh at Irulan's expresssion, though it was close, and walked over to put a reassuring arm around her shoulders. "It wasn't just you, if it makes you feel any better. My furniture was struck with a sudden wave of affection for me, which it attempted to demonstrate."

[irulan-atreides.livejournal.com]

Affectionate furniture, Irulan shuddered, "I think I would take my petulant furniture any day. I just hope they behave with Pam. Really, it is unbecoming of royal furniture to behave so childishly."

[anextimeagent.livejournal.com]

"It was very sweet, and once I had a little talk with it, we were fine." At that Jack did laugh, amused by the memory. "I'm sure if your furniture had been serving royalty for longer, it would have behaved with more dignity."

[irulan-atreides.livejournal.com]

Irulan wasn't so forthcoming, if she wasn't who she was, some people might even say she was pouting. "They were spoiled."

[anextimeagent.livejournal.com]

"I'm sure they were," he soothed. "But they're not here and so far nothing in the range looks like it's going to come to life. Come on, you can take your frustrations out on the targets."

[irulan-atreides.livejournal.com]

Jack's smile eased the tension she'd been feeling and gratefully took her gun. "That is an excellent idea."

[anextimeagent.livejournal.com]

"Mine usually are," he teased, carefully fitting her ear protectors over her head, and handing her the safty glasses. "You should know that by now."

[irulan-atreides.livejournal.com]

Irulan smiled back, her first for the day. "I do." She put on the glasses and the ear muffs, assumed position and breathed in to focus her. "I'm ready."

[anextimeagent.livejournal.com]

"Then show me what you can do." Jack stepped back, resettling his ear covers, standing a few feet behind her so he could watch her form not dirty.

[irulan-atreides.livejournal.com]

She raised her gun, switched off the safety and started shooting, it wasn't hard to imagine the desk lamp in place of the target. She may be shooting with a little more force than necessary.

[anextimeagent.livejournal.com]

When she finished, Jack moved forward, settling his hands on her shoulders. "Okay, you really didn't like starting the day with a disrespectful lamp, did you?" he asked, looking down at her. "You need to relax. Although," he added as he hit the button to retrieve the target, "it does't seem to have wrecked your aim at all."

[irulan-atreides.livejournal.com]

"The lamp would not have been so bad if the drawers and the closet hadn't started reacting. Honestly, I think it incited a rebellion. Stupid lamp."

[anextimeagent.livejournal.com]

He caught the laugh just in time, covering it with a solemn nod. "The strangeness of Fandom can be annoying. If it keeps up, I'll send my chair over to your room. It's a quick learner, and it seemed eager to test out its new skills. I'm pretty sure it can distract lamp, drawers, and closet."

[irulan-atreides.livejournal.com]

It was a mark of Irulan's infatuation that even a chair could send flutters through Irulan's stomach. "I would appreciate that."

[anextimeagent.livejournal.com]

"You're right across the hall from me, aren't you?" he asked. "It won't be a problem. And you know, you can drop by. Just make sure you knock first, in case I'm otherwise occupied, but you can come and visit anytime. I'll make you tea. "

[irulan-atreides.livejournal.com]

And to think it took Irulan far, far too long to realize that.

"I shall do that, have you ever tried the Spice Melange?" She said, reloading her gun with a new clip. She's becoming quite handy at that too.

[anextimeagent.livejournal.com]

Jack watched her hands, smiling proudly when she replaced the clip smoothly. "You're getting very good at that. And no, I haven't. Is it good?"

[irulan-atreides.livejournal.com]

"Thank you," she said, "It is very popular in my world, it has a lot of property, mostly it helps prolong our lives."

She put on the ear muffs again and only disengaged the safety when she aimed for the target.

[anextimeagent.livejournal.com]

Jack watched, feeling both proprietary and proud, as she fired. Irulan was his first student, at least for anything like this, and he was surprised at how much enjoyment he got from teaching her.

[irulan-atreides.livejournal.com]

She stopped after her clip emptied again, switched on the safety and smiled at Jack. "I am feeling much better now."

[anextimeagent.livejournal.com]

"Good." He grinned at her. "No shooting the lamps, though."

[irulan-atreides.livejournal.com]

"Unless it wants to enslave humanity," Irulan said, hopefully then sighed, "But it acts more like a child so I may forbear harsher punishments."

She paused letting it sink in that she was describing furniture. "I can't believe I just said that about the desk lamp."

[anextimeagent.livejournal.com]

Jack snickered. "The wonders of Fandom. You'll get used to it," he promised.

[irulan-atreides.livejournal.com]

"The strangest thing is that I *am* getting used to it," she admitted, removing the empty clip and replacing it with a new one. Irulan turned, turned off the safety and fired.

[anextimeagent.livejournal.com]

Jack watched her, until he was satisfied she didn't need him hovering, and moved back to his own alley.

They stayed in the range until it was time to head back to the dorms for room inspections, Jack carrying the rolled up target from his final round. It had a single hole, centred right over the heart, where he'd put the entire clip.

Smug didn't even begin to come close to describing his smile.

[cyclopeanmerc.livejournal.com]

Pip nodded to Jack as he took out his Glock and set himself up on the side to get a little practice in.

[anextimeagent.livejournal.com]

Jack nodded back absently, smiling but distracted, as he emptied another clip into the target.