[ota] it'll come; it'll come

[thepupthatmatters]

This had, apparently, been an interesting time to throw himself into this work--this world. He'd been led to believe it was something dangerous but a bit antiquated.

But now there were briefcase bombs, apparently. Now there were a rash of Challenges across all the Suits--some fairly civilized, some bloody as anything. Now there were people whose lips curled at his accent and stood a little more stiffly until he left--and people who arched their brows and told him to be ready.

The accent he had been working on diligently. The fluency with English was coming from his near constant practice. The filing is much more satisfying work than polishing at soup spoons had been.

But now was the time to make certain he was working on other important thing. He'd practiced fustély in his physical education courses as a child, but that was something to continue working on quietly. Today?

Today, he's on the training range with an almost ceremonially-arched bow, squinting down the line of the arrow thoughtfully.

Comments

i just wanted an excuse to use a picture of him as Bard

[wascomplicit]

It was supposed to be dangerous but antiquated. Davin, for all his business depended on bringing things into the Deck that the Deck didn't have good access to, had never extended that to explosives or many firearms (antique pistols and that sort were one thing. AK-47s were something else entirely). It was rather disturbing. As was some of the rhetoric he'd heard some members of the family parroting. That bothered him even more.

Which is why he's out here at the range with his own bow in hand. While archery had never been an all-consuming passion and he was merely competent at it...there was something obscurely satisfying about sinking arrows into targets. Particularly if one imagined the targets as people who had made themselves problematic.

The boy, though, is a new addition, so he pauses a few feet away to watch curiously.

"It won't ever get there if you just hold it."

pff <3

[thepupthatmatters]

Most of the twitchiness when surprised had been tempered out of his system now. The voice didn't throw him off so much as make him properly glance up. Almost like a young man who belonged here.

Almost.

The accent still wasn't bland enough, but there was less helping that. "I was told I did not spend enough time sighting, sir."

[wascomplicit]

"Anyone ever tell you about the point of diminishing returns?" he asks, setting his own bow down carefully. "If you wait too long, it's not going to get any better and your arm is just going to get tired."

He'd point out that waiting too long could get you killed, too, but even on the Deck they've mostly moved past actual battles. Most archers confined themselves to targets instead of people. Hunting though..."or if you're aiming at a deer, well, she's just gotten your scent and escaped off into the trees."

[thepupthatmatters]

It's a fair point. And it's got him, briefly, dropping his arm entirely to relax the tension out of his shoulder before lifting it again.

Just a few seconds this time. Just long enough to adjust the arch upward by a hair.

The arrow still sinks wide to the left, but at least it's on par closer to the centre of the target this time.

[wascomplicit]

Davin nods slightly at that. "When did you start? Archery, I mean."

And since the boy seems amenable to suggestion, he uses his own bow to demonstrate a slightly different stance for Aleksei to take. "Try like that, next time."

Ana said I should be mean. I might be less mean later.

[headfollowheart]

Zoe hasn't spent nearly enough time on the archery range lately. She might have come to the conclusion - largely - because Lily Antonov had loudly and deliberately claimed within her hearing that she could absolutely beat Zoe Fox at archery. Which, in a word, is bullshit.

Probably.

"Mr. Chives said you've been out here a while," she says from behind him. "I told him I'd bring you tea."

The worst. :| <3

[thepupthatmatters]

There was a very sweet Heart who was substantially less married than Mrs Fox. There was also a very pretty Club who was much closer to his own age than Mrs Fox.

But all this clearly isn't stopping the colour from flushing to Aleksei's ears at the sound of her voice. He's got no control over his ears anyway.

"--oh. You-- shouldn't have, ma'am."

[headfollowheart]

It was hard not to notice the blushing, honestly, and she wasn't so unobservant that she didn't realize - after some reflection - the reason for it. It had been Victor who had pointed it out to her, after giving her a bit of an amused look.

"I was headed this way anyway," she tells him with a smile before nodding at the target. "Having some trouble with the bow?"

[thepupthatmatters]

"--no."

Except, clearly, yes, given the low left clustering of his already fired shots.

"Just the archer."

[headfollowheart]

Zoe's lips curled into a soft sort of smile. "You shouldn't be so hard on him," she says. "Archery's just like anything else. It takes a lot of practice before you're any good. Papa had to spend hours with me."

She pulls a bow from her quiver and fires it with a seeming lack of effort into the bullseye. "You're doing better than I did. I kept hitting tree trunks instead."

Or now. Jordan is amused at being less mean than Zoe.

[falsepretences]

"Are you seeing anything interesting in the bulls eye of that target?" It would probably not surprise Aleksei to learn that Jordan and Davin were related. For all that Uncle Davin seemed closer to Hadyn at times, there was a certain likeness of...

Personality.

Only like 5%.

[thepupthatmatters]

It wouldn't be a surprise at all, but then again, it might just be the manner of Spades. Really, he'd believe both.

"...not yet an arrow."

And not after the exhale, either. The arrow thunked into place wide to the right.

He resents that. Surely a lack of blushes means more.

[falsepretences]

"Your grip is a little off." Admittedly, archery was not his finest art - Jordan was much better with blades and close-range fighting when it came down to it. But he was a Bernard and a Novak, and that meant he'd be trained in everything, even bow and arrow.

"It's sending the arrow askew. That's the problem, more than you framing your shot."

...6%.

[thepupthatmatters]

"Sir."

It's an entirely automated response--one actually from before even arriving to the Spades. It had served him well to keep, thus far.

The next arrow isn't notched, attention simply dropping to the grip he's got on his bow.

[falsepretences]

He's told Aleksei that he could call him Jordan everytime they've been in the archives together - but that's admittedly less often of late. He's been spending more time with Emily in the law offices. Either way, he is still the kind of man who has grown up expecting a sir, even when it's not necessary.

"You're holding the bow like it's going to run away from you," he says as he approaches. "Relax. It does better when you keep the grip light, but firm. No white knuckles."

[longingforthenight]

"You know, if you make squint so much, your eyes could stay like that," Kritika points out seriously, nudging his shoulder with a grin. "Take the shot and give your eyes some rest."

[thepupthatmatters]

But being nudged in the shoulder means having to reset his stance, néni. And keep squinting longer. Why do you do this.

It's still wide to the left. At least the cursing is under his breath--and in English. He's learning.

[longingforthenight]

She's amused, really. "Watch your tongue," she chides calmly, crossing her arms. "Though I'm impressed you've learned so many already. And that you're coming even remotely close to the bulls-eye. I'm no good with a bow and arrow."

[thepupthatmatters]

The frustration may leave his tongue, but it stays settled grumpily in the furrow of his brow.

"You work hard for-- important things, yes?"

[longingforthenight]

"Of course. That's the only way to be, I think." She raises an eyebrow at him. "Why do you ask?"

Faaaaaaashionably late as usual =|

[old_dog]

He reached out and closed his warm hand over Aleksei's, steadying the shaking bow. When the boy looks up at Michael, he's all smiles, though his gaze remains fixated on the target.

"You should take a break if you can't hold it still anymore." He corrected the position of the bow ever so slightly to compensate for the weakened arms.

"Lift that elbow up. Count down from three, don't think about anything and just let go."

Like only the coolest of kids.

[thepupthatmatters]

He hadn't yet picked up the twitchiness most Spades seemed to have about their personal space. There was still comfort, actually, in having continued, non-violent contact. Just a little bit like having Nagyapa Volkov around, really, with an absently instructive touch while he bent over his letters.

Archery was coming far less easily than writing had; but then, he was learning it much later in life, using it much less constantly. It was nothing to be overly frustrated about.

Particularly not when he was being instructed with a calm expression. That had to be savored. His elbow popped up without question, lips moving with the inhale and arrow firing with the exhale. Still too far to the left.

Bow-arm absolutely dropped with an exhausted sort of sigh.

How have you been? =)

[old_dog]

Where Aleksei might have seen a miss, a disappointment, Michael saw resilience and growth.

"You're doing well," he encouraged warmly, letting go of the bow. He probably could be patronising if he tried, but certainly he didn't have a sharp tongue around Aleksei.

His free hand that hadn't been gripping onto Aleksei's or the bow before produced a bottle of water.

"Maybe you should take a break."

Not bad until this week, then suddenly dramz errywhr at work, as happens. How's you? <3

[thepupthatmatters]

It felt safe, being here with Michael. Safety made it acceptable to smile, to let his tongue feel less kept while speaking.

It also made it acceptable to scowl with disappointment, even while taking the offered bottle with all the moodiness of the age.

"Is everyone else taking breaks?"

All the other hypothetical Twos and Threes.

Super busy with RL but things are dying down just for this week.

[old_dog]

He sighed before he offered Aleksei a tight-lipped smile. Ever since a King was nearly blown to pieces by some unknown assailant of some unknown origin, more than half the Deck was not taking any breaks.

"I promise you that you'll work harder once you take a break than if you just kept going." Whether that was the same as getting better was another matter entirely.

"Why archery?" he asked as he leaned against the rails.