Owner Pose
Alexander Aaron     *THWIP!*
    Wisps of vapor drifted up from Alexander's lips as he exhaled slowly once the arrow had left the grip of his fingers. He lowered the collapsible weapon even as the string thrummed with a near silent vibration that was stilled when he lightly touched gloved fingertips to it.
    One eyebrow quirked as he looked distantly toward the target, then sidelong toward Thea as he murmured, "That one wasn't bad."
    Which, to be fair, it wasn't. Alexander was no stranger to the weapon. But it wasn't his focus. The sword would always be his first love. Yet his father taught him to neglect no weapon lest it possibly decide his fate in the future. For the Fates indeed were fickle and cruel.
    But it might not be bad. But for someone like Thea Queen and her expertise... It might not be good either.
    They had been out there for a half hour already, training, sharing their insights into firing stance. There had been words shared about the proper way of draw, pull, release. Even some thoughts given to when a shot 'feels' right. Yet there was one thing clear with the youth, the thing that his father drove into him. Alexander was a quick learner.
    Underfoot the snow and gravel crunched outside as he stood behind the warehouse. No Winter coat protected him from the chill. He wore just blue jeans, white sneakers, and a slightly too large black t-shirt that had a rainbow cloaked kitten with an eye-patch who hefted a cutlass and was proclaiming in a caption, 'It's a Mew-Tiny!'
Thea Queen No, Thea didn't come out here without her large duffy jacket. And yes, the hood is up to cover her ears as well. Specially as she isn't the one doing all the work today. Oh no, today she is here to supervise. She is sitting on large crate, one leg folded over the other and her feet dangling in the air while she watches Alex go with his training.

"Again."

That's her response to the 'That one wasn't bad.' To be fair, it wasn't *that* bad. But not bad isn't the intent here. Nothing but excellency will be expected. Ugh, she feels like her brother already.

"Let me guess, you were taught on large, unwieldy bows." A roll of her eyes, "Men, always focused on the size. You are overcompensating for a weight that isn't there. It means you can ease the grip a touch. Not be as strict in your motions." she advises from her observation perch.

Because yes, she's like a hawk, keeping an eye on the training.
Alexander Aaron     As for Alexander his expression is amused, though when he's critiqued he gives her a side-eye that to most other people might cause a roil in their stomach considering how wicked the young God of Fear can look. But she knows that look is given with as much seriousness as when he crinkles his nose at one of her jokes.
    "Again," He repeats, ignoring the comment about size at first. One of the arrows is taken from the quiver on his right hip. It's a quick draw, smooth in its execution. His arms are mostly bare and they tense as he brings the arrow up connecting it cleanly with the string. The bow is tilted slightly to the side, the string drawn back, there's that whisper of fibreglass on the haft of the bow as the arrow slides into place.
    A single moment of aiming.
    *THWIP!*
    Faster this time, an inch above the first arrow, however. Close, but they're not aiming for close. They're aiming for repetition and precision. To get that muscle memory down perfectly. And he tilted that bow to the right again slightly. Something that he seems to do instinctively for some reason.
    But... in the abstract. His form is good. His arms are well-muscled and his chest broad. He has the perfect frame for it. Just not that same controlled cleanness of execution that she and her brother have. "You know."
    He says over his shoulder without looking her way, "Perhaps if I had some extra incentive?"
Thea Queen That second shot? It has Thea sighing. It also makes her jump down from the large crate she was on. That's how bad it was! (In her view). "Now you are compensating to your right. What's this? Cover a hole, open another one?" she brings her hood back down and moves in, cheshire cat smile on her expression when Alexander speaks about extra incentive. She laughs.

"Ah, so that's what it's about. You have been purposefully trying to look bad so I come down.." she teases, wandering over and taking a few steps around Alexander. Or in this case a full circle around him. Lips jerk to the side as if she was considering on how to best approach this.

"But fine, what kind of incentive would we be talking about here?" she slowly continues her circling, a moment behind Alex and then giving him a touch on the back of his leg with the tip of her foot. "Lower your balance center a touch.", a beat, "Now draw and pull another arrow, but don't shoot.."

She will wait for it to be done before reaching to run her fingertips alongside his arms, giving just that minimal adjustment to posture which can mean everything when is going for perfection.
Alexander Aaron     "Whaaa, no way." Alexander responds but that smile she draws from him, it's a rare thing beyond these bounds. For most anyone he has that casual normal smile. But her, there is a warmth and a sincerity to him.
    "Seriously, I'm not throwing it." He tells her and it's true he is giving as good as he can in this particular arena. It's perhaps in the different way that she shoots, the way his father implements more martial and direct in its execution. But the Arrow crew... they have such finesse and technique. It is almost another thing entire.
    But then she's hopped down and circling him and he takes a deeeeep breath, holding it as he once again focuses on the target before him. She asks him what kind of incentive and his answer? Is a slight look to the side with his eyes hooded and narrowed. That may well serve as enough of an answer as he meets her gaze.
    Then he retakes his stance, hand resting on the quiver at his hip. She nudges him with her shoe and his knee eases forward just enough, changing his posture slightly to the side a nudge.
    He holds that, then she tells him to draw and nock, and he does so. He has that movement clean, strong hand dropping and taking the arrow from the quiver with a rasp of steel on leather. He sets it to string and draws the arrow back. It highlights his form perfectly. The hard musculature of his back tensing, that right arm's bicep clenched and held taut. There's no quaver in his stance as he maintains that focus on the target.
    She draws closer and brings her fingertips to his arm, and at that touch there's the subtle roil between them. She can feel it in the way his body stiffens. Goosebumps come to life along the back of his neck as she makes those small minimal shifts to his athletic form. He continues to breathe slowly, deeply, the tendons standing out clearly on his forearm, his heartbeat felt in his chest as he holds that focus.
Thea Queen "That means it was all you?" Thea wrinkles her noses before whispering in a conspiratory manner, "I was just giving you a way out of not looking so bad.." oh yes, now she's teasing him. Specifically because there's that light, stinging touch to her tone which is when she is being a little, mean Thea. All for a laugh, of course!

Bright blue gaze follow the lines of the man's muscled arms as he prepares to shoot, she continuing to put him in that perfect stance he should keep. One that is then drilled to memory be repetition. But baby steps first. The woman continues her small correction. A touch here, a nudge there. A whisper of fingertips on skin. Eventually she does seem satisfied. Which is when she says. "Are you ready..?" she asks, "You can shoot now.."

She will wait until Alexander tenses up to release to approach further in, the fabric of her jacket against his back and her whisper felt and heard against his ear, "But can you shoot with distraction?" she then blowing softly on his ear. A wistful thing.
Alexander Aaron     "Yes," He says quietly, though his voice is tight as he holds that form, "It was all me." Yet he holds, unwavering, like marble carved into the form of a man. His eyes are locked on the distant target.
    It's cold out there, and his breath continues to appear in those slow steady wisps that rise from his lips. His breathing eases. Slows. Though at points when he feels those small corrections, those light touches... his eyes close slowly. Small tells can be seen, that he likes those faint caresses. The way his ears draw back slightly. The way his shoulders clench just so. As if two forces were at war in him, the need to hold that stance. And the enjoyment of her nearness.
    She asks of him if he's ready. His pale hazel eyes opening to see the distant target, to see his aim has not wavered at all. There might be a moment in him that is pleased with himself. Even as he holds ready.
    "I am."
    She tells him he can shoot...
    And his strong arms gain that tension, the ghost of firing which she can see even as she draws close. Close enough to whisper against his ear. To feel that heat from him. Close enough to take in that subtle hint of sweat and effort... and her shampoo? She exhales and he feels that brush of her breath across his ear, enough to draw more goosebumps that race up and down the supple curve of his neck.
    It's enough to force him to refocus. Just a single fraction of a second. Then he /fires/.
    *THWIP!*
    A near perfect shot just above the first. Her distraction did not affect his aim... but it did slow his release slightly. But only now with the arrow sent to its home he seems to ease into breathing. His broad chest rising and falling.
    Yet he does not move, for she has not released him from training.
Thea Queen The feeling of her proximity is gone a moment later. It may even leave one imagining whether it was real or not. Thea looks across to the target line and lets out a devious grin. "Seems like you work better under pressure. Should had expected so." she moving to stand between him and the targets, "I will remember that for next time."

She makes her way over to retrieve the arrows, snatching them from the target. "We will have to work on your speed though." Oh yes, she noticed he didn't shoot as fast as she told him to. But all in due time!

And then she is returning to where he is, "How do you feel?" she asks, sliding the arrows inside a nearby quiver.
Alexander Aaron     "Good," Is his answer given when she asks. He switches his hands holding the bow and twists one wrist until it makes a soft crackle when the joint eases through its range of motion. "It's... nice to approach this differently."
    He then swaps the bow back to his other hand and walks part of the way to meet her so she can return the arrows to his quiver if needs be. "When I trained with my father he had a strong focus on speed, but also distance, so we used longbows for the most part."
    A pause as he looks at his Christmas gift and then smiles sidelong at her, "But this bow is very nice, thank you." He steps closer and rests a hand on her back affectionately, easing into a half-embrace wih his hip lightly touching hers. "A few more shots? Or did you want to go do something else today?"
    He smiles sidelong and leans over to touch a small kiss to her brow, "I'm kind of in the mood to go out somewhere, but no idea where."
Thea Queen With the arrows now finally back on the quiver Thea casts her blue gaze back to Alexander. "Yes, figured that would be the case." about the use of longbows. "They are weapons of war, but they can also be used for peace. Or at least that's what my brother tells me." her shoulders rise in a shrug, almost as if she wasn't too sure on that last part yet.

She lets her body ease against Alexander's and into that half-embrace. "I think you have had enough excitement on the shooting range for today." she teases. "We can go take a walk. You are in luck that I know all the best places here in Starling."

"Might be I will even show you a few secret ones, mmm?" She lifts her brows before leaning in to place a brief kiss on the man's jawline.
Alexander Aaron     "That'd be nice," Alexander says as he briefly pushes a fingertip through her hair then grins and steps back, "I, however, am gonna go get my coat. Cuz it is cold. And you are a harsh taskmaster."
    He's collapsing the bow now, however, and unstrapping the quiver while taking care to be very gentle with both. Though as he's getting them situated he looks over his shoulder. "Or should that be taskmistress? Yah that's probably right." Once he's got them managed and tucked under one arm, he starts to head back to the door and into the club. Turning he calls over his shoulder. "Be right back!"
    And a few moments later he disappears into Verdant.