Her laughter bubbled up her throat and she shook her head as she chuckled. "Wow," she said, sitting down and leaning her back against the tent wall. "I would have never guessed that 'Suit Boy' was a wimp when it came to the weather."
"Suit Boy? Says the one wearing stripes with a trench coat." He brushed back his hair, then sat up to put on his shoes. "Talk about no sense of fashion."
She glowered, but she didn't really seem too insulted. "Well, good thing I don't have anyone I'm trying to impress around here," she pointed out. "Especially not a boy who wears suits to climb trees."
"Climbing trees wasn't part of the plan," he quipped, standing up. "Besides, the only thing I hope to be impressed by is how well you handle tough situations."
"We're kinda in a tough situation right now," she said, her hands on her hips as she stood up as well. She grinned at him and stepped outside the tent, waiting for him to leave so she could pack up the tent pod. "And I'm not the one rolling on the ground because it's too cold outside."
He grabbed his items and stepped out, shrugging. "I don't see why it's such a big deal. I just want to get moving."
"It's not a big deal," she said, squatting down to press some buttons on the base of the tent. "It just amuses me." She entered her passcode, and the tent began to quickly unfold before their eyes. Poles rolled together and fabric folded until it was eventually in the same cubelike shape that it held originally. Poppy picked up the cube and placed it in her bag, zipping it up with quick movements and an air of eagerness. She stood up and turned to Francis. "Alright. Ready?"
He gave a nod and began walking in the direction of the base. "The place we're going is extremely secluded, and was very difficult to find. Any vehicles that were sent in the area of it were shot down, but luckily we placed a tracking device on the last one so we know where it is. I'm sure we're more likely to hear it before we actually see it as well."
"With that much privacy, they probably send out scouting groups," she mused, walking comfortably next to him. "We should consider ambushing one of those."
"Right. They might be on high alert as well, so need to be careful." He put his hands into his pockets.
She nodded in agreement, and they walked in somewhat awkward silence for a while. Finally, she couldn't stand it anymore and attempted to start up conversation. "So... 11 years of service," she said with a smile. "A dedicated public servant?"
"Public servant? I just like doing the right thing, and then doing whatever I like in between. It pays well."
"You started as a secretary, right?" she asked, gathering some snow and watching it fall through her fingers. "How did you get to where you are now?"
"I did. I decided I wanted to start training to work there professionally, and so I did. It took a bit, but I made it." He shrugged. "What about you?"
"I was fresh out of college with a masters degree in Biochemistry," she said, shrugging. "I managed to graduate early, and I knew that what I really loved was working in the lab. So, you know, I kept an eye out for entry level jobs, and I was lucky enough to get here. One thing lead to another, and now I work in the lab full time. Pretty basic story."
He raised his eyebrows. "Better than some complicated reason for joining. Like wanting revenge on someone. That's just ridiculous."
"Do you speak from personal experience?" she asked, smiling to herself. "If so, it's taken you a very long time to get your revenge." (Am I sensing a Pirates reference?)
"I just called it ridiculous. Nothing I do is ridiculous unless I say so." (Not gonna lie, I was thinking about it, haha.)
"Hmm. You know, I haven't known you for very long, but I feel that you've done two ridiculous things, and I feel as if your reputation is at stake here," she teased, her eyes mischievous.
"Two? I disagree. I've done none. As for my reputation? It's unbreakable, and lies at the top," he said, smoothing back his hair.
