insurmountable | i'm dragging a heart that weighs a ton / holding out for not just anyone

[He finds it peculiar that that's all she says she has- does she not remember absorbing the power of anemo at the statue? Well, guess he'll have to address that if she really doesn't remember after that bump to the head. But first things first.]

Visions are incredible sources of power- but there isn't anything quite like a well placed bullet. Your enemies my try to gun you down, so there's no reason why you shouldn't be armed just as well as them.

[He shrugs, that's just how it is. Survive by all means necessary.]

Come. There's a lot to see here.

[He leads her inside, the front office of this tiny building worn down and looking very untidy. He approaches the person at the counter, exchanging some quick words before Ajax walks over to a door that opens to a long, concrete stairwell leading downwards. At the bottom lies another door, and he pushes it open into a large room with an array of different assault weapons on the wall behind a counter, with a display set inside of it with various pistols and magnums to choose from. Downrange from there has several targets set up, and on the other side of a room is another door that seems to dampen the sounds of explosions and other various noises that sounds like people using either weapons or...something else.

Ajax walks over to the counter, rummaging around until he finds a few pairs of safety glasses and noise-cancelling ear protection. He hands a pair of each over to her, before sorting through the pistols for something she can fire. He then hands her a belt, to use as a holster for the gun and ammo.]

Go ahead and put those on. Well, not the earmuffs yet, just the glasses. I'm going to show you some gun safety before we start. I figure you could use a belt for now since you've got a dress on. One like mine will just rub your arms and irritate the skin. And we don't need to be uncomfortable while we do this.

[He sets a few Glock and Ruger handguns in front of her on the counter, before he takes his jacket off to reveal that he's been loaded the entire time. His holster is under the suit jacket he is wearing as part of his business attire to reveal two pistols under each arm. His belt also reveals another pouch that he has ammo in, along with the Vision that glows brightly on his belt.]

Go ahead. Pick whichever you'd like. All of them don't have a lot of kickback, so it doesn't matter too much which you choose.

[ her enemies ... she doesn't have enemies, she wants to say. he does, his family does, this harbinger bullshit does—but she doesn't. not that she gets to argue this when he's already leading her deeper into the building, seemingly nonchalant and unperturbed by how crazy this all is.

then again, his family is shady as it is, so lumine suspects this doesn't even bother ajax one bit. he probably grew up to this, unlike her whose family has been normal since the day she was born.

lumine accepts the glasses and earmuffs wordlessly when he hands them over to her, but she doesn't move when he offers her the belt. she has a feeling that the moment she does accept it, she'll have no choice but to hold a gun and carry it around. this isn't something she's used to nor is she entirely comfortable with.

... she needs to sit down and absorb all of this. it's easy for him to say to pick whichever gun she wants, but she doesn't even know where to start or what to do first. ]

What if I don't want to choose anything?

[Since she hasn't accepted the belt yet, he simply places it on the counter next to the pistols he's set out. He walks over to a table to throw his jacket over the back of one of the chairs, before returning to her. He'll have to get her a pair of gloves too.]

I wouldn't recommend that.

[It should be self explanatory. The range isn't being used at the moment, and they're the only ones in this room, so he begins to walk downrange to set up their targets to practice shooting. He calls back to her while he steps away, glad that a lot of the targets seem to be up and ready to go, and he just needs to put new paper on it.]

Don't worry, there's a lot of people who live normal lives who have a conceal carry permits for protection. Just think of this as no different from them.

[ ... this isn't very normal for her, thank you very much. she realises that it's very normal for someone like him, but their lives have always been different from the start. so what's normal for him is totally not normal for her, especially when she'd like to think that she's pretty ordinary.

save for the weird visions they've been having lately.

is there any way that she can get out of this? clearly not, since ajax seems to be rather insistent at this activity. lumine glances at the table again, letting out a sigh. ]

... Aren't there guns that will fit inside my purse?

[ you know, like those tiny ones in movies. surely, she doesn't have to carry a holster like him??? ]

[He quickly finishes putting the targets they'll be using up, returning to her from the end of the range and going back behind the counter. He lifts up and places a very small pistol with a pink handle that will easily fit inside of her purse.]

I've got holsters for this one too if it suits you. For times when you won't have your purse on you, or if you know you're going into a situation where you might need to reach it faster than unzipping a cumbersome bag. Well?

[He looks at her expectantly- but if she doesn't want it he'll gladly find her a different one.]

[ lumine stares at the gun he offers her, pressing her lips together at how difficult it is for her to change his mind about this. but she supposes that this is better than everything else on the other end of the table if only because it's something she can easily conceal and, at the same time, doesn't look too intimidating.

she sighs under her breath, taking it in her hand. not too hefty, and just fits her hand too. she hates it already, she thinks. ]

I don't need or want a holster, [ she insists, figuring out how to hold it. even with her aversion to holding or keeping her vision on her, this is even more cumbersome. ] It'll be better if it can stay in my bag.

[ if she doesn't have to use it at all, really. ]

Edited 2022-05-20 04:32 (UTC)

[Of course, he doesn't protest to her objection to the holsters he's offered- it's not like she can't change her mind later in case she wants them. He only smiles, glad that she's decided to take one, nodding his head. He grabs a box of bullets for that gun, carrying it with him as he rounds the counter once more.]

Don't let me forget to get the serial number off of that before we leave. Believe it or not, even we follow some of the laws around here. The last thing you need, just in case, is being caught with a pistol with a serial number filed off. We'll be registering that to you before we leave today. Your concealed carry permit will be ready to go by then too. My man upstairs is taking care of that as we speak.

[He walks over to a line, indicating that she should stand behind it, but facing downrange.]

Okay. Are you ready to learn? It's quite simple, you just need to follow a few rules while we do this.

[ okay, hold on. she's a little confused. ]

... My permit will be ready by today, too? How long does the processing of the permits usually take?

[ it isn't as if she's unfamiliar with the bureaucracy and the red tape that surrounds it. after all, she and her twin brother have built their business from the ground up, and there had been permits and license requests that have sat in certain offices for a few weeks before it actually moved.

she steps up to the line where he's gesturing, her fingers curling and uncurling around the polished finish of the gun. ]

And don't tell me you're using your connections to move things along, Ajax.

Edited 2022-05-20 05:08 (UTC)

Hahaha...

[He laughs a little nervously, since she's nailed it right on the head. Not that he was trying to hide that in particular, but she doesn't look like she's all that impressed with it. It doesn't matter to him though.]

Well, you can't walk out of here without having a permit, so we're just having things sped up a little. It's not like you're skipping the instructional phase of obtaining one. We're just not waiting for the state to get around to your paperwork, that's all.

[He's sort of expecting another glare from her at this point, but hey- it's not like she's used to this. He imagines there's a lot that she'll eventually find out and experience about the mafia that she won't like...]

[ to say lumine's unimpressed is an understatement. after all, she wouldn't have minded waiting for weeks to get this processed; that's how normal people do it. it's tedious, it's annoying, but she knows that it's gone through the proper channels and didn't involve any kind of bribery or corruption.

but obviously, she has to deal with this. all because he's decided to involve her in his affairs. ]

... If I give you the gun back right now, I can walk out of this place and just wait for the permit to arrive at my desk, right?

[ she doesn't glare at ajax. she's honestly tired of glaring at him. it doesn't do shit; if anything, she's the one getting exhausted by how he brushes it all off. ]

If you give the gun back, you don't get instruction. It's as simple as that.

[He says very matter-of-factly. Ultimately, it is up to her whether she wants one or not, but he knows that it's not a good idea for her to go around town unarmed after what had happened to her prior to the Windblume festival.]

But, it's as I said. I don't recommend it. In fact, it's more important you have it now rather than later, just in case you need it. Which is the entire point of this exercise anyhow.

[Lumine walking out of her without a gun really makes most of this moot.]

[ just in case she needs it. just in case someone tries to slit her throat again.

a part of her is tempted to push the gun back into his hands, but she also recalls aether's expression when she got home, the front of her blouse covered in blood. she couldn't blame him if he's decided to ask ajax for help, especially since he assumes that this is because of the project he's done for him. ]

Fine, [ she huffs, feeling helplessly irritable over all of this. ] Fine. I get it, I honestly don't understand it, but fine.

[ now, they can't blame her if she shoots someone by accident. she's washing her hands of any responsibility of anyone getting shot because they gave her this gun. ]

[Well, at least she's agreed. Now he has the task of getting her to relax enough to learn some basic safety measures, so he quickly composes himself, ready to teach.]

Let's concentrate on teaching you how to use it safely and properly for now, okay? If you walk out of here with anything today, that's what I want it to be.

[Ajax stands next to her, drawing one of his own pistols out and holding it with two hands. It faces downrange, and during the entirety of the time he has it out, it will never face in another direction other than that.]

Muzzle awareness. Always know where your muzzle is pointed and always keep it pointed downrange while you are here, unless it's holstered. And never, never point it at anything unless you're going to shoot it. I know that's pretty common sense, but it bears repeating. Now look here.

[He indicates for her to look at his own gun, which he lifts to aim at a target. His index finger, however, is not on the trigger.]

Your finger never goes into the trigger well until you're ready to fire. Always rest it here, above the well on the side of the weapon.

[He then drops the magazine out of it, pressing a button on the side and sliding it out into his hand on the bottom of the gun. He then opens the chamber of his pistol, checking inside of it for ammo. His is currently loaded, so when he slides it back, a bullet pops out of it and falls to the floor. After physically inspecting it, he shows it to her.]

When you're done shooting, you'll unload your weapon like this, checking it to make sure it's unloaded for safety purposes. Make sure you also check the chamber to make sure it's empty before you load it, too.

[He picks the bullet up off the floor, depositing it in his ammo pouch- the magazine is loaded back into the gun.]

Okay. Pretty simple, right?

Edited 2022-05-20 06:36 (UTC)

[ now that she's agreed, she's forced to watch his instructions and abide by them. and to be honest, it's simpler than what she's expecting, thinking that she'd be forced to take apart her gun and then put it back together. if ajax had made her do it, then she'll probably just insist on defending herself with her vision.

lumine sighs under her breath, mimicking the movements he's done and showing him her handiwork. at the very least, it's mindless things like this that she can do without fail. but really, what has she gotten herself into? ]

That's it?

One last thing. Look at how I'm holding the weapon.

[Aiming once more at one of the targets, he shows her how to hold it with both hands, elbows bent.]

You'll want to keep both hands on the weapon when you fire. It's not like in the movies where people are just shooting with one arm and not aiming. Granted, that does happen from time to time- but for you, you'll need to learn how to properly shoot first.

[He now holsters his own weapon, so he can pay attention to her form.]

Go ahead, give it a try. Let me see how you hold it before we let you start practicing.

[ what is ridiculous? holding a tiny gun as he does just to fire it.

but you know what, it doesn't matter anymore. lumine just wants to get this over with and maybe stash her gun in one of her drawers. all those times aether's been nagging at her to carry her vision all the time, and she just might this time around so she has an excuse not to bring a gun.

in any case, she curls both hands around the grip, adjusting her fingers so it doesn't feel too uncomfortable to hold. still, even with that, she finds that holding it is just weird. ]

Like so?

[He inspects her stance, noting that is was good, but he wants to make some small adjustments.]

Here, widen your stance a little, and raise your arms up just a little more.

[Ajax places his palm under her hands, lifting them up right where he thinks is the proper place, before nodding. He hands her the box of bullets he'd previously grabbed, opening it and holding it for her to take bullets out.]

Just like that. Now, go ahead. Put your ear protection on, load your weapon, and aim at center mass on the target. Fire as you breathe out, and pull the trigger slowly so you don't jerk the gun. Let's see how you do, Lumine. Maybe you'll impress me, haha.

[ impress her, he says. lumine rolls her eyes at that, irritation lancing through her like lightning. if she shoots him in the face, will that impress him, she wonders?

but she makes no witty or snarky comments, for now, doing what she's told and aiming at the target once more. the glasses are annoying, she'd have to say, as someone who's never worn any kind of reading glasses before. and lumine pauses to take them off just so she can look at the target without any hassle.

she takes three shots at the target, all of which are clustered around the area of the head. a frown mars her expression, and she wrinkles her nose. ]

Huh. I didn't hit the bullseye.

[He frowns when she takes the safety glasses off, about to say something to her when she begins shooting. Too late, he supposes, but it's not like he wears glasses out on a job so...]

Ok, go place that back on the counter, so we can go take a closer look together.

[Though he can kind of see it from there, he wants to make sure his eyes aren't playing tricks on him. Walking down with her to the target once she's put her weapon down, his hand goes up in front of his mouth, inspecting it.

Uhhhhhhhh. That cluster wasn't what he expected.]

Are you sure you were aiming for center mass, Lumine...?

[ what? is he unhappy about it?

lumine sighs the nth sigh she's sighed for today, trailing after him. see, this is why she doesn't want to do things like this. criticisms are one thing, but what's the point of criticising her when she's only started learning how to use the damn thing in the first place? what a pain. ]

Aren't I supposed to incapacitate someone with this tiny thing?

[ isn't a headshot enough to incapacitate someone?? she doesn't understand why he looks so ... unsatisfied. ]

I mean, yes, but...

[He indicates the target again, because he's trying to make a point here.]

If you were aiming for center mass, you shouldn't of hit three perfect head shots in a row. I'm just asking so I know if you did this deliberately or not. Though, if it was deliberate...your foe is certainly not getting up from that one. I'm actually quite impressed.

[Maybe she's a born killer after all.]

Hah, perhaps you should be the one protecting me.

[ okay, so maybe she went too liberal on the definition of centre mass. ]

Shooting someone in their centre mass isn't going to take them down.

[ which she assumes is the point?? of this exercise?? after all, if someone really wants to take and try to kill her, a minor graze on their arm or torso isn't going to stop them.

lumine sends him a look at the remark. ] There's not enough mora in this world to pay me to protect you.

Yes it is, [he corrects her sternly,] you're more likely to hit a vital organ if you aim for the torso, and it's a larger target. Trying to land head shots in the heat of a gun fight is much harder, and you'll be wasting ammo. Trust me.

[He sighs, setting his arms akimbo as he takes the target down and puts a new one up. She's got better aim than him, and that's kind of scary.

He likes it.]

Anyway, [letting his throwaway comment go aside,] your aim is far better than I thought it would be. If you'd like, you can shoot a little more, or I can show you the other part of this facility.

[ she shrugs: ] It's only a waste of ammo if you're a bad shot.

[ is she pertaining to anyone? of course not. she doesn't even know how good of an aim he has, so she's definitely not making a potshot about him. in any case, she shrugs again at him, gesturing for him to lead the way.

she's done with shooting, she wants to get out of this building already. ]

I hope what you're showing me is the exit.

[Ajax shoots a look at her, wholly unimpressed with her attitude about this when he's tried to teach her as a proper instructor would. But, at the same time, he'd kill to see her take out a few guys just like that, well placed shots right to the head. That would be cool to see.]

Haha, I'm afraid not. We have a lot of vision users who also use this building to train their skills, and we still have one more thing left to do. Come.

[He takes her to that door that had been muffling sounds of battle and explosions and the like, gesturing her to follow. Inside is a long hallway that has multiple doors lined down it, each door lying a great distance between each other, as if the rooms they lead to were ginormous in size.

He leads her to one that is marked as unoccupied, opening it for her. The room inside is as large as one could imagine, the walls seemingly made of a different material than the normal concrete the range had.]

These rooms were made with the intention of being able to take the impact from multiple elemental reactions. People will spar in here, testing their skills, or even just train alone. Here, they can do so in private and not be arrested for any, let's just say, "accidents" that may happen due to their visions.

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