Workin' Nine to Five[Natasha, Orion]

"No question, Orio."

A short answer, offered without any notion of confusion. The quick response wasn't meant offensively, either. Natasha supposed he welcomed honesty, and there wasn't any reason to tell him otherwise. From her perspective, he was sociable sure, but it didn't quite feel... human. There was always this sense of hesitation in his energy she picked up on whenever she interacted with him. Past interactions told her that active socialization felt somewhat alien to him. Sure, there were things no man would ever be accustomed to around her - her saccharine words and playfully flirtatious nature - to name a few, but even outside of that, she couldn't help read this awkwardness about him.


"Of course, that isn't a bad thing. Not everyone's a social butterfly. Some simply can't operate normally compared to others, but that's why I'm here. Now, first things first. Step one about interaction is maintain' eye contact. Try and turn your head back to look at me while we talk, okay, honey?"

Harsh. However, she's correct. He asked the question knowing he deserved that answer. If she had tried to sugarcoat it, he wouldn't have felt like she actually meant helping him. In the line of duty, precision is key. However, he should probably stop thinking about things in that way. If he wants to be social, he has to look at things with less black and white and more grey.

Her first request was easy enough.., he had thought. Though, being told to look in her eyes came with a mountain of issues that he didn't know he had. Her nature for starter did make him hesitate. If he looked at her, and she smiled or threw out one of her remarks, he knew he'd find it impossible to really think. He has a habit of having to think about his next words, and the pressure her eyes alone give off is unhelpful.

He still looked though. His bleak eyes turning to stare into her lively ones. Now we're back to that awkwardness. He should definitely say something...

"...Hi..."

Even he thought that sucked.

"Pfft..."

Natasha couldn't resist the small chuckled that spilled from her lips. There was the small urge of pinching his cheek that tempted her mightily, but she held fast and maintained good behavior. It was, in all due respect, a start. Was it the best one? No, of course not, but that's precisely why they were engaging in this sort of excersise anyway. Rome wasn't built in a day, after all. He was certainly capable of better. If he feared the notion of her turning his words on him or torturing him with a sudden assault of teasing, Natasha patted him on the shoulder to assure him she meant well.

"Not bad. Not great, either, but it is a start, sugar. Baby steps, we call em'. Now, let's try that again but with a smile. Instead of Hi, let's try; "Hello Natasha, how are you doing today? Treat me all casual like. Like you're happy to see me. In my line of experience, that's a great way of breakin' the ice!"

He made an attempt, and she definitely showed him that it wasn't the best, but the fact she laughed is good, right? Comedy, he's read, is good for breaking the ice, but he also feels she's not laughing with him right now. Nonetheless, he tried something and found what came next not entirely disheartening. It is a start, but then came her chastisement. Even when trying to correct him, he found it hard to take her as seriously as he should. Her good natured personality is too nice... It make it easier to do this... And that's what she's trying to help him achieve...

"...Hello, Natasha," He started, fighting the urge to turn his eyes away. "How are you doing today?"

Still a bit awkward. He found it strange to ask what he already knows, but lessons are about repetition. You keep at something until it's natural, so you'd keep trying to have a conversation until you're good at it.

"I'm doin' lovely, Orio."

Maintaining a warm smile, Natasha found herself thoroughly invested in his progress. His gaze still looked noticeably uncomfortable, but she could tell he was at least forcing himself to step out of his comfort zone and approach this with an admirable effort. Progress is still progress. At the end of the day, even baby steps can eventually flourish into something that's greater than the sum of its parts. Wondering if he can maintain the good pace, the hazel-eyed sharpshooter continues her lesson by posing a similar question regarding his wellbeing.

"How are you doing today, sweetheart?"

Repetious? Sure, but this was a lesson. Even if he already revealed that info, it didn't hurt for the sake of making this feel like a genuine excersise.

How is he today? Well, today actually sucked because of what he has to do. He's not one to grumble though. A mission's a mission despite how hard it is, but he feels that's not what Natasha wants to hear, and he kinda feels a bit better than he did moments ago. There's something about someone willing to help him, and she's not even being paid.

"I feel alright. You've helped my day a bit."

A senseless reveal, he didn't really catch it until after he had said it, but as with every order, he followed it as designed. For a moment, he had no reaction to himself, but nerves got the better of him as he turned his head away and sighed.

"Can I have a redo?" He mumbled, actually cracking a lighthearted joke at his own expense. He's been told that doing what's asked of him without question is wrong, so it's a bit comical that his preset settings made him sound more normal than he actually is. It even made him sound a bit like Natasha, with the way she likes to poke and joke.

"Oh? Is that so? Color me suprised."

A flash of amusement colored her expression at his admission. Unexpected words from the stoic soldier, to be sure, but she took them in earnest nonetheless. After all, she was a major offender of offering playful compliments and striking others with sweet words to throw them off their rhythm. To receive a similar pleasantry was a welcomed change of pace. His offscript error, was, in truth, something that didn't bear the need of a redo. Out of turn as it is, they were undoubtedly the sort of words that would brighten someone's day.

"Lookit you goin offscript. Can't say I expected that, but I'll take it. That was pretty good, honey. I'm glad I could have such a wondrous effect on ya."

Flashing a playul smile, Natasha allowed the man a moment to recompose himself, visibly impressed by his honesty, if not a bit touched.

"Your bubbly personality is..."

What's a good word? His slight pause would definitely showcase his inability to easily think outside the box, but maybe that's because he's thinking about it now. His consciousness to actually speaking casually is holding him back. He's lacking that flow that Natasha has, but with time, he'll probably get some knack for it. Though, with that said, he should just let the first thought that comes to his head be the end of it.

"...nice... It helps my nerves."

A bit more honesty thrown into the mix, he turned his attention back to her, thinking of his next move, but then he had to stop and force his body to do what simply felt okay for the situation. To say the least, the smallest hint of a smile pulled his lips upward. Ignoring the fact that he is enjoying the moment wouldn't help, and the actual act of forcing himself to stay professional only made it harder to keep up. It was only a mental release from his usual tightness, but he already found himself feeling his tight bones actually feel light.

"Aw shucks. Now yer just makin' me blush."

His honest praise was heartwarming. A far cry from the stoicism he often displayed when they crossed paths before. Honestly, she was happy to hear him speaking with ease. It meant that on some deep-seated level, he was learning without forcing himself to adapt, without treating this as though it were a chore. In that sense, he was passing with flying colors. The experiment was working wonders, after all, huh? Arms crossed, a playful smirk set against her lips, hazel eyes observing the small crease of a smile in his expression, Natasha nodded in clear approval at his heartfelt words.

"Now, we're truly offscript, sugar. But that's quite alright with me. Can't say I'm havin' a cloudy day, let alone a grim hour, but if I was... Those sweet words of yours just now would've brightened my day tenfold. Good work, sugar. You passed, Orio."

Well, hearing he passed triggered that part of his brain that recognized a completed assignment. He can at least say he's somewhat proud of himself, but one compliment doesn't mean anything in the face of an impossible task. Just because he said something nice won't help him in holding long conversations. He'll have to master the art of topic managing and entertainment. Just like a show, if he's not good with people, they'll get bored and whatnot.

"When are you free, Ms. Miller? We can have another session at later dates if you wish."

It would be a misstep to not take advantage of this situation. He is comfortable around her, so she is the best candidate for progress. If he can secure more sessions, then he'll no doubt gain a bit of humanity that he had lost in his youth.