Triggering Change [Natasha/Violet]

Violet was caught and prevented from falling to the floor. Putting her hand over her chest, Violet took a couple of deep breaths and smiled at her Aunt. “Thank you… That startled me…” Violet puffed out her cheeks, glaring at the gun like it was its fault she almost fell. "That's gonna take a bit to get used to, yeah..."

Her glare went away when Aunt Natasha reminded Violet that it wasn't there to hurt her. This was her tool, she made it, so it wouldn't and couldn't hurt her. It was about protecting her. With a deep breath, she nodded. "Can I try again?"

"Of course ya can, Vi. You're free to try yer hand as many times as ya need till ya' get it right."

Natasha offered a reassuring smile as she nodded her head. There was hardly any harm in multiple attempts. Repetition was the necessity behind all forms of combat exercise. As far as she was concerned, Violet could attempt this as many times as she desired. Eventually, all that repetition would forge her simple technique into something she could truly be proud of. Moving behind her carefully, to assist her in guiding the weapon in a proper position, she moved away to allow her space for her next attempt.

"Remember. This weapon is here to protect you. Think of it as an extension of yourself."

Once Violet was given permission, she focused in on the target, aimed and fired. This felt so much more natural than anything else. She didn’t have to maintain the shape of a large weapon. She didn’t have to worry about accidentally hitting herself with her own weapon. It was all working the way it needed to, the way she wanted it to. The bullets kept firing forward, forward, forward… They hit the target just fine, even if there wasn't much power behind it. She wasn’t a perfect shot, but she never missed it. And the more Violet fired, the more comfortable she became.

Violet stopped shooting, stared at her reishi-gun, and a big smile grew on her face, “I love this thing!” The joy in her voice was even vibrant, contagious even. “Can we set up a new paper?” She destroyed the first target and was ready for the next.

"Aw, shucks. Don't go gettin' married to it, sweetheart! This is still just yer first date and all."

Natasha chortled heartily as she lit up at the happiness evident in Violet's expression. The joy of success was something to admire, especially when it was bearing fruit right in front of her eyes. Even better, it was her niece. Someone she hadn't seen in so long, firing her gun off with impressive accuracy. It was enough to elicit a warm smile across her sunny features. After hitting the stationary targets, Natasha pressed a button and transitioned into the next phase - moving targets. This would test how well she could hit something that was in constant motion. A more realistic exercise for self-defense. Turning to her with a grin, she pointed a finger in her direction.

"Let's test your accuracy out on a moving target."

Violet instantly blushed, but she waited for her Aunt to stop laughing to reply, “I’ve never been on a date.” She did not get the metaphor, and due to the upbringing she had, they often went over her head. Sarcasm, metaphors, all that joking stuff was unfamiliar unless it was used to make her feel dumb or bad about herself. Since she did not think Natasha would ever be mean to her, she took it seriously.

As the targets began moving, Violet cheerfully got back to shooting the reishi bullets at them. Moving targets were much more difficult. She missed 2 out of every five shots, and the rest never hit center mass. She wasn’t leading the shot, which meant she was aiming where the target was, not where it was going to be by the time the bullet got there. She kept trying, even started small talk.

“You ever been on a date?”

"Plenty."

Natasha responded with a playful curtness to her tone, accompanied by an amused smile. She'd seen plenty of dates in her lifetime. She'd start questioning her charms if she didn't. Of course, that question brought some momentary, albeit bitter, nostalgia. Halcyon days spent with a man who was a brave soldier and a kindred spirit all at once - now and then, she wondered what her life would've looked like if he hadn't sacrificed himself for her sake, but now wasn't the time to go reflecting on that for too long.

For better or worse, she was moving past that chapter. It was adorable to hear she'd never been on a first date, but she supposed that made sense, given her family background. That rotten apple sister of hers would've probably been picky as hell with any prospective option that stepped through the door. If she were a betting woman, she'd be supremely confident in her hunch.

"Not bad on the aim, but remember, the difference between moving and stationary targets is rooted primarily in the aim. Ya gotta motion yer body around and lead into the shot rather than biding your time. Don't worry, Vi. You got this! Aunty Natasha's right by yer side."

Violet blushed at her Aunt’s answer. She felt so inexperienced and young next to this woman, probably because she was. This is was a feeling she got a lot lately. There was so many normal things she did not know how to do because of her upbringing, and she didn’t realize how bad it was until she fled and came to the City of Lights. She had to learn how to do laundry without messing up the colors or bleaching the wrong thing. She only learned to cook more than instant noodles and canned food because Vanyel taught her. She… really was not a good adult yet.

Getting that new bit of advice, Violet stared at the targets for a bit. It took a little bit of thinking to understand exactly what she meant, but then she adjusted her aim to lead the target. “Yeah, I got it!” Violet said confidently. The shots weren’t perfect, but she finally started right back to hitting good spots. “It worked… Haha. It worked!”

Violet hopped upside down, losing herself in the excitement of the moment and threw her arms around her Aunt in a tight hug. Realizing what she had done, she blushed a little and backed up, rubbing the back of her head. "Sorry."

"Now, now. Don't go backin' out of the hug now. Auntie's proud and she ain't afraid to show it."

Natasha was hardly offended by the embrace. She wasn't some cynical soul who shirked away from physical contact. If someone wanted to hug her, she'd hug them back. On top of that, seeing Violet succeed at another goal she set out only served to fill her own heart with a sense of pride. This was what Violet deserved. God, if she could give Rose the middle finger right now, she would. Take a picture, send it, and tell her this is what family looks like. Alas, she wasn't going to put that type of attention on her recovering niece. At this moment, all she wanted to do was embrace her beloved niece and soak in this moment for all that it was worth.

"Proud of ya, Vi. Real proud."