A Song For The Optimists[Solomon, Violet]

Solomon found the accusation amusing. In reality, he wasn't employing his acumen as a Quincy here at all. His quick bursts of movement were the product of years of intense training and routine physical regiments. Of course, since she accused him of it, he found himself tempted to employ those techniques. Resisting that urge, he shifted his grip around the gun, moving with careful poise to slowly tail her from behind. Solomon chuckled softly, calling out to her as though challenging her to return the favor. To answer for the shot at her chest.

"Cheating? Do you mean to imply I'm using my techniques here? It is tempting. However, as your teacher, I think this is a perfect opportunity to hone your senses. I did offer you the first strike, and you chose to rely on your own strategy instead. Now, are you going to follow through until it bears fruit? Or abandon it since it isn't proving successful?"

Solomon simply maintained his focus about him as he slowly strode along the series of fake cars. He was practically leaving himself wide open, his body readily available to be hit if Violet decided to give into her ambition.

Violet was able to tell the direction of his voice really quick. She turned that direction, listening to him talk as she tip toed her way back toward the set of cars. She was getting closer, and said nothing in reply. Suddenly, she jumped out and fired her gun three times, aiming for the lighted targets on his chest.

"Yes, I will. You're the one who taught me to be patient."

The vest lit up for a few seconds and Violet threw her hands in the air, running in place and spinning at the same time. One point for her, another for him. Before the lights would stop though, she ran off again to find a new hiding spot. "Reset, reset!"

"Indeed. Patience is a virtue. Someone's adapting well. I'm impressed. Let's keep that up, shall we?"

Impressive. She was adapting quicker than expected, a fact that brought him no shortage of joy as the three shots landed successfully against the lighted target on his chest. Competitive as he was, Solomon's expression resembled that of a proud teacher more than a determined competitor. A shot for a shot. Now they were perfectly even so far. Solomon aimed to change that as the bright lights fluctuated, giving chase as the woman bolted off to hide elsewhere. Charging forward, rolling onto the ground, he would keep pace beside her, turning to fire a wave of three shots at her chest in return.

"I won't let you get away from me that easily!"

It wasn't entirely clear whether Violet was adapting or finally allowing herself to just be herself. As she tried to reset, Solomon gave chase. Violet glanced over her shoulder and then began running away. Turning through the maze was difficult. She almost tripped a few times before he fired three times. Her vest went off, so she aimed back at him and fired three times too. Both of their vests lit up, but of course these still only counted for one point. Now they were two and two.

"Remember, first to ten wins! You're not defeating ME that easily!"

Violet ran again, finding a lower opening that she decided to baseball-slide through. By some miracle, she didn't hit her head. She assumed Solomon was giving chase, so she immediately turned and aimed at the hole, waiting for Solomon to come through. She wasn't paying much attention to her surroundings at that point.

Solomon hardly relented in his pursuit, increasing the overall pace of his charge, his azure gaze observing the area for her presence. They were even now, she reminded him, but he intended to break that tie and gain the lead. From an observational standpoint, he wondered if she had developed a rhythm for this now. Or was her success merely the result of playful improvisation?

Either way, she was displaying impressive movement and reaction time, which meant he had to act with a greater degree of focus now lest he fall behind. The baseball slide was a pretty adept technique to employ, one that should have given her ample space to thrive, but Solomon was a man on a mission. His focus remained unperturbed, his blue eyes acting as a radar to track her in this bright mazelike room. Since she chose to go through the hole, Solomon decided to employ a different strategy, scaling one of the walls to appear above her, his gun poised at the glowing target on her chest.

"Those are my words, rookie." He exclaimed with playful impishness. Lighthearted banter to keep their spirits going and their blood pumping.

Violet looked up. Her vest lit up again, giving Solomon another point. She tried to instantly fire back like she had before, but a voice came over the intercom. "Hey, you two. When your vest is lit, you do not fire your gun, and no climbing on the walls. Not everyone is a well trained Quincy, Mr. Richter. Follow the rules!"

Violet sucked in her lips, looking at Solomon with an embarrassed smile. She had no idea they would actually be paying attention, but they had to protect their business, so she couldn't blame them. However, the more surprising part was that they knew Solomon's last name. Violet blinked at that, looking curiously at him.

"You're famous, aren't ya?" Violet asked, but before he could answer, she shot him again. By the time the announcement was done, her vest stopped blinking, so they could fire. Thems the rules! Back to three and three! Though, Violet would have to admit two of her shots were clearly against the rules this place set up.

"Ha-ha! Reset! Find a new spot!" Violet turned away from Solomon, running away from him while his vest was lit up. She counted to ten and ducked down again. This time, she would go back to the ninja approach. She'll get him fairly now.

"Famous? Me? No way. I just know a lot of people."

Solomon flashed a sheepish grin overhearing the announcer overlooking the room. He supposed there wasn't anything entirely wrong with keeping them in check. He should have been following the rules, and though he had certainly intended to acknowledge the voice, his attention was drawn back as Violet seized the opportunity to hit his chest, shifting the score back to a tie. Competitive desire overwrote following proper laser tag etiquette as Solomon once again set into a swift pace. He tried to compromise the rules in a bid to find a loophole, shifting from scaling to kicking off the walls to increase his speed. Leaping through the room, he positioned his gun at her from the ceiling, firing a wave of shots from above, more perhaps than what was allowed, yet his mind was now given wholly to the temptation of victory.

Violet had no chance when Solomon took to the ceiling. Her vest suddenly lit up, but she had no clue where he was. She looked left. She looked right. She peeked around a nearby corner. “Hey, where are yo-…” “He’s on the ceiling… I now must ask the both of you to exit the premises… Please return your gear to the designated area and leave.” Violet looked up and pointed at the big cheater.

Next thing the two of them knew, the lights turned on and they were being escorted out of the building. The entire time, Violet was trying not to laugh while Solmon got scolded by a few unhappy employees. Violet apologized for nothing! Once they exited and had walked far enough away, Violet started laughing joyously, wiping the following tears from her eyes. "That was so fun. Can't believe we got kicked out!"

What an embarrassing showing. In his competitive fury, he lost sight of the rules to such a degree that it led to them being tossed out. Not his finest hour by any stretch, but Violet's humorous reaction towards it all eased the sting of any harsh criticism he received from the employees. To pay his respects, he still allowed them to keep the money he spent and even paid them as a way of showing them there were no hard feelings.

He would likely be allowed back the next time he came, so little was his disappointment. When they stepped out, Solomon found himself chuckling sheepishly in response to her statement accompanied by joyous laughter. It was definitely exciting to have a moment of rebellion, even if it ended with them being tossed out. When the laughter finally died down, he grabbed her by the hand. Working up a feast, it became abundantly clear where he wished to go next. His mind was already set on the next part of their date.

"Have you ever tried Indian cuisine before?"

Violet's blush returned full force as Solomon took her hand, and of course she returned the gesture. She noticed the difference between them now; his were larger and secure, while hers felt small and fragile in comparison. Violet's mind was pulled back to food. It had been long enough since they ate back at her place, so by the time they got to any restaurant, she knew she would be hungry enough to eat.

"I've never had the chance," Violet shook her head. She wasn't even sure what Indian food was like. "I'm willing to try it, if that is where you want to go."