Penny For Your Thoughts? | Chiron & Keira | 7.22.14
It wasn’t commonplace for Keira’s mind to be entirely set on the training session, and today was no exception. Ever since Keira’s chance meeting with Amanda in the “off-limits” section of Division (one of several, she was sure, but that was an sumptuous idea to ponder another time), she hadn’t been able to shake the idea that something was going on between her handler and the kind brunette. It had been some feeling, some small inclination, nothing really. There was no tangible proof, nothing substantial that the handler had said to indicate that she harbored any feelings for Chiron Masters. Perhaps it had been some odd inflection when she said his name, some pause she took when she discovered he was Keira’s handler. Or perhaps, Keira thought grudgingly, it was all in her head, and she was simply projecting some imagined chemistry onto two people who didn't feel anything for each other save neutral respect.
Still, the aloof nature of Division’s walls and the absence of any kind of romance in Keira’s life made her want to impart some onto people who deserved it. And didn’t they, in a way, deserve each other? Chiron would surely benefit from having some female companionship in his life - he dearly needed it, after all. Keira couldn’t believe that beneath all that military discipline Chiron was just a block of ice. Smiling inwardly, she dared make small talk between his instructions, hoping she didn’t come off as too obvious. “So, do you handlers get to hang out after hours, or something? Go topside for a drink and make fun of all the fledglings?”
Getting To The Crux | Chiron Masters and Keira Carter
Characters Involved: Chiron Masters and Keira Carter
Timeframe: After 3rd Meal
Location: Weapons Room
Keira found herself, once again, at the mercy of Chiron's attention and judgment. She could feel his steely gaze on the back of her head as she faced the target, and was trying her best not to squirm. It wasn't as though she feared him or didn't like him - that wasn't it at all - it was just that there was something about his undivided and focused attention that got the girl a little discomforted. She knew he was military, so it made sense, but couldn't he loosen up just a little? Keira felt a stray, unfair thought come to her head that he probably needed some lady (or male, if that was his orientation) time, but she wouldn't be caught dead saying it. To any other person, perhaps, but Chiron, definitely not. He would probably have her in a headlock before she finished the thought, and seeing as how he was much larger than she was, she didn't particularly wish to see that play out. Keeping her head level, her elbows locked, and only one eye open (erringly, of course), she aimed at the target on the wall, waiting for Chiron's instruction.
Chiron had asked Kiera to accompany him to the shooting range today since he had noticed that she hadn't got any experience with shooting yet. Since guns came with the trade and the familiarity with them should extend to their application in praxis, he needed to fill that gap. He focused on the young woman readying herself to shoot. He noticed her stance, the way she held the gun and also how she squinted in an attempt to get the aim right. "First of all, I want you to put the gun down. Make sure that it's locked and then take a step back from the range." If she had been someone with a history of guns, he would've shaken his head at how inaccurate she attempted the task but since there was no indication that Kiera had ever handled a gun before she came to Division, he had no problem with it. It was more along the lines that he had expected. "Now first off you're standing all wrong. The recoil will crumble your stance and make your aim inaccurate." He imitated how she had stood with her full body facing the target her feet apart from each other but at the same height. Then he took drew his own gun and shot at the target that way. The bullet barely grazed the paper. He checked that the gun was locked again and then put it away. "Stand with your feet apart like you did before but let the tip of your left foot facing the target, your right will stand further back and face side-ways like this." He demonstrated it quickly and then waited for her to follow.
Keira had the idea that she probably wasn't doing it right - after all, she had only ever seen it done on TV, not in reality. She hadn't ever gotten close enough to the action (thankfully) in Tyrell's gang to know how anything was done, and on some level, she was grateful for being kept from that as a kid. She was an adult now, and therefore more properly able to deal with this emotionally. She was grateful beyond measure for those coddling ways that the gang could have on occasion. On another, deeper level, she was ready for this. She was ready to be able to handle herself. She listened to Chiron without argument and without comment, two feats almost unheard of for Keira. But she was determined, and eager to learn. Doing as she was told, she checked the safety and made sure it was on. She felt herself move to copy him as her eyes stayed on his form, and could not help herself the little jump she gave when his weapon fired. She was used to gunfire, of course, but in this range, it was always startling. At his demonstration of her ineptitude, she gave a partial roll of the eyes. He was only showing her her mistake, but it still grated a little on the pride. Just a little. "Alright," she answered hesitantly, putting one foot in front of the other. "It feels weird," she said tonelessly, but continued to do as he said. "Shouldn't I always face the target forwards?"
Chiron watched her carefully again as she tried to copy his stance. When she struggled with it, he nodded and stepped closer to her. "Now your upper body is too much to the side." He applied some pressure to her back and shoulder to adjust her position until she was standing correctly. "You want it facing towards the target but not too much so that it becomes uncomfortable. It might feel weird at first but you will need to adjust." Then he took a step back again from her person to allow her to memorise how she stood for a moment. "Now relax your muscles and then try it again." If she would do it right the next time, he would move onto the way she has held the gun, if not then Kiera would maybe spend the entire training session just with this little thing. Chiron hoped that it wouldn't become necessary since he would grow bored eventually.
Keira felt a little awkward about her stance, but had faith that Chiron would show her what was right. He knew what he was doing, and she did not, so she had to put her trust in him to not make sure she didn't look stupid. She nodded in understanding, allowing him to move her in the proper position without a fight. She assessed what he had done, relaxed, and then repeated it on her own this time. "Got it," she said brightly, ready to move on to the next thing. "Can I shoot yet?" she asked pointedly, a hint of impatience in her voice. She had the stance, and she knew how to take the gun off of its' safety. That was basically all you needed, wasn't it?
Chiron double-checked that she had followed his advice and was standing securely before answering her question which made him see once again that it could be hard to make Kiera concentrate on one thing for too long. Her mind seemed already to be on the next step in the process. "Not yet. When you held the gun you put your left hand a bit under the butt of it." He showed her what he meant. "It's a common mistake because you kids see it often in tv shows and movies. If you shoot your left hand will most likely kill your aim." He motioned for her to grab the gun again that he had picked out for her and then adjusted his own grip until it was familiar again. "You see how my left hand cover the right one? You will want to squeeze the front and back of the handle tightly with your right, but the grip on the left should be even tighter. This gives you maximum recoil control." He relaxed his fingers again and then repeated his step and also assumed the stance that he had just shown his recruit. "Now try it again and keep your finger off the trigger. Always treat a gun as if it's loaded even if you know that it isn't." The handler stepped back to let her put his instructions to use.
Keira had to admit, his knowledge base was priceless. He was a good teacher, patient but firm, and gave her credit even while she didn't understand. He was fair enough towards her, Keira silently admitted, and could have been far harsher with someone as tenacious as she, but he was not. It didn't go beyond her understanding that in her circumstance, Chiron could have been entirely condescending towards her. He had years and years of experience on her, had probably trained multiple recruits, and had seen countless other young people who had attitudes just like her. Keira sobered. He deserved a little more credit than her short temper was currently affording. Setting herself up again, she followed his instruction. Her lips pursed worriedly at the word 'recoil'. She was a tiny thing, and she knew it, which usually served her well in combat. In shooting a gun, she was slightly afraid this would be a setback. She hesitated, looking at him with a glimmer of something indiscernible. "Am I going to be thrown far the first time?"
Chiron didn't even have to take long to consider his answer to her question. It was something common in those recruits who hadn't shoot a gun before that they thought of the recoil like this big erruption in your hands. Yet if you had a firm grip on the butt of the gun and if the gun was a semi-automatic 9mm like the Glock 19 that Kiera was handling, the recoil was easy to control. What would make her more likely to flinch was the sound of the gun going off. First time shooters liked to gently press the trigger back and when they feel the resistance they mentally brace themselves for the recoil and the sound that would follow. It was why often their subconscious told them to move their hands just by a tiny fraction and that would make the difference between a shot directly in the center of the target and one that barely grazed it. "Your feet are firm on the ground. You've got a steady posture.", he started reminding her of that. "Make sure your grip is tight and your arms will absorb the slight blow." He paused for a moment to let the girl process his reassurances before continuing. "Do you feel like you're ready to take the shot?" He posed it as a question merely to see if she how she would react. Would she cower and say that she was not ready yet, would she broadly announce that she had waited for him to ask her that? His bet was that she would go to neither of these extremes but you could never know.
Keira nodded, his reassurances soothing to the apprehensive girl. She had always held worry in her mind that shooting a gun would be as violent for the shooter, and perhaps it was to some degree, but knowing that she could control such a powerful weapon made her feel confident. He was instilling her with the knowledge, and trust, she needed, and Keira felt her confidence in the both of them growing strong. At his question, Keira nodded once more. She was ready to see if his lesson had could to fruition. "Yeah, I think so," she said with gumption. Readying herself once more, she turned the safety off, assumed the stance like Chiron had taught her, held firmly, and pulled her finger back against the metal trigger. She was proud to feel herself stand firm, the blast and subsequent boom only scaring her minimally. She grazed the paper, marveling at how quickly it all happened. "Hey, it's a start," she said brightly, turning to look into his face with a sure smile.
