Sad country hours (Stella/Nat)

"What's so scary about little ole' me, hm?"

Natasha exchanged a playful retort with the young woman, chuckling softly in response to her teasing words. Now, there was the bubbly ambitious lady she remembered. That happy expression she wore suited her far better than the glum and dreary face she wore at first. Now that she's a little happier, they can speak at length about her improvements.

"Addin' a bit of speed to your repetoire isn't a bad move, I reckon. Steigen's a good place to start. Since that's one of my strong suits, I can clear my schedule and show ya the ropes. As far as spells go, I recommend goin' with the simple stuff first. I think it could be a fine tool for ya in the future, but certainly not now. Reinforcin' your body with blut and enhancing your speed with Steig, that ought to be the approach movin' forward if ya ask me, sugar.'

"Nonsense. I personally think you have a lot goin' for ya. Confidence does take some time to develop, no doubt, but it isn't some unreachable thing you'll never be able to attain. It's all a matter of findin' contentment in who ya are, if you as kme."

That was simply the way she viewed it. Natasha never thought herself the beaming image of confidence everyone saw her as. She was simply a bold woman with a courageous heart at her core. She never reflected on the bad times for long. The old adage "this, too, shall pass" was something she wore close to her sleeve, and if there was anything Stella could improve on, it was definitely avoiding worrying about so much at a young age. From her point of view, she had plenty of time to improve. Why bother with feeling ashamed about everything? Useless riffraff, if you asked her.

"I noticed as much on our first mission. You seem pretty competent with it, too. I'd continue honing that skill until you feel comfortable moving into another. Gebet's a little more complicated dependin' on how ya wanna approach it. There's chantin' your spells like a prayer, and then there's applyin' yer arcane to catalysts to perform various techniques. It's not an easy proccess, that's for sure. It definitely requires focus. That said, I can probably show you the basics one of these days, if yer up for it."

She was no supreme magician or anything, but Natasha certainly possessed enough skill to hold her own, if not more. And she definitely held no qualms toward passing that knowledge along to a willing pupil like Stella.

"Come now, missy. Don't be silly now. Ya live under my roof and work in my division. Whose time is bein' wasted here? I'm helpin' you improve. That's not a waste of time for me, and I mightily hope it won't be for you, either."

What a silly statement. Natasha isn't so busy that she can't make time for a member of her household. Sternritter duty was busy work, but that didn't mean she couldn't show her the ropes. Presenting her with a framework for upcoming battles might as well be essential for any fledgling quincy. She would've made a similar offer to anyone else, truth be told. Enjoying her burger with one hand, the other arm leaned against the table, Natasha upped the ante with her next words.

"In a few days, I'll be hosting an open challenge and seeing if I can secure an arena left over from the fanfare of Seaside Fight Night. I don't want any of our kind goin' unprepared in battle. We can train now, or you can meet me there in a few days. Fair warnin', though. I won't be goin' easy. Think ya can handle me at my best, sugar?"

"I think you'll give me a little trouble, truth be told, but..."

Through an equally playful smile, Natasha flexed her arm. Hazel eyes brimming with the confidence she exuded as naturally as it was to breath. No longer focused on her burger, she declared her thought on how their battle would go.

"I'll win."