witchesreign | [ action - monday ] Ϟ [ 02 ]

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[ action - monday ] Ϟ [ 02 ]

[ The first day of actually teaching is almost always a touch stressful for a new instructor, but for the pink-haired woman who spends her few remaining minutes of morning frowning, arms crossed, and standing outside the specified doorway, something like that is almost laughably trivial. She's faced much worse, after all, so... honestly, that's far from what really bothers Claire about this whole thing.

It's who is in the classes that's the problem, and what is behind her mental seething with such intense dislike. However, if any of the Pulse l'Cie think they can mess with her so easily? Then they're in for a pretty big surprise, that's for sure. She'll make it very clear that she's not going to be thrown off by such simple things!

Anyway, after that's all through and her classes have finally come to an end, the former PSICOM lieutenant makes her way over to sit in the quad instead, carrying her ubiquitous folders, a book, and several fruits. She isn't really that hungry, and even though she doesn't really feel like being in public view right now either, she also knows that if she locks herself away she may do something regrettable. Best to hold herself accountable and... fresh air is supposed to be good for you anyway, right...?

This post is also for anyone enrolled in the MOV101 classes in general- feel free to mingle, mess with your lovely, serious-business instructor here, or... whatever. XD If doing so, please note the day and time. ]

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Recuperating? [Just happens to pass by, noting how she is out here with all her folders. And fruit.]

[ Claire glances up, back straight and expression flat at the question. However, her answer a moment later is extremely idle, with only a slight frown as she looks back down to her papers. ]

More or less.

[At least her class had one person she could bemoan the presence of without history.]

[Maria's styles had never incorporated athletic movements to the extent that MOV promised. Oh, she had listened to the Safety Briefing and taken it to heart as much as possible, but...]

[Well, she had tempered enthusiasm, so she hadn't gone bowling for cadets in her rolls. That's good? And she had a natural athleticism that translated very well to the sort of moves the course required?]

[The problem is... she comes out of every roll or tuck into a fighting stance. That's not necessarily a bad reflex to have in general, but in a classroom, when her stance generally involves arms at full extension? There's where people either have to scatter or take a reasonably powerful shot to the torso.]

[She's working on that, honest. But a day isn't enough to totally fight down reflexes she's earned over years.]

[She is very profuse with apologies and explanation where necessary though.]

Instructor.

[It's a polite and hesitant statement made from a man standing quite the respectful distance away.]

I know you don't want to talk to me, but there's... something important you ought to know.

[Spotting that familiar pink head, Cid stops in his tracks. He wonders briefly whether or not he should go speak to her, and in the end, he opts to go for it. After all, he had promised Snow that he would do all he could to help win Claire over...

When he nears her, Cid dips his head slightly in greeting.]

Lieutenant. [His eyes land on the class materials and the fruit.] I assume you had your first lessons today?

This quarter will be a handful, if the cafeteria was anything to go by.

[ Either Snow is indeed really hard to miss, or Claire has a Pulse l'Cie radar or something- she's already frowning long before Snow gets anywhere near her, shoulders and body language lined with obvious tension. She's also determined to ignore him until he says anything, although even when he does, she doesn't bother affording him the honor of eye contact, carefully keeping her gaze down on the bound folder spread over her lap instead. ]

I really doubt it's anything I'm interested in.

[His footsteps are heavy enough that it shouldn't be any problem for ANYone to hear him coming, really.]

[Hoo, boy. Well... she's never going to believe him. He knows that. But here goes.]

You're not from the same world as the rest of us. You're not the Lightning -- the Claire Farron we know. Look at your student roster and you'll see that sometimes, somehow, there are two of some people.

That's why I acted the way I did. That's why the others did too. You aren't -- we thought --

[Damn it, he thought he had this under control. But somehow saying it makes him miss his sis(ter-in-law-to-be) all the worse.]

I thought you were someone you aren't, Instructor. Kind of an understandable mistake, I think. But I'm sorry.

[And now he braces himself for the backlash. And potentially a punch to the face; if she really thinks he's just yanking her chain, he doesn't think that's unlikely.]

... Brigadier General.

[ Claire watches him approach, and makes little effort to hide her suspicion- it shows in the quietly guarded way she holds herself, turning her head away a bit at the greeting. As she promised, she's had time to think about their strange conversation when he'd first returned, and what she's gotten out of it in the meantime doesn't seem to shine well on the older man. ]

This morning.

You could say that. [ She looks slightly amused, though in a kind of morbid way. ] I have that one in a class, actually.

[Chuckles faintly, crossing his arms.]

Kind of glad I decided not to teach.

[ Claire's jaw clenches as she slowly, finally looks up. Another world? Seriously? The friendliness, the insistence on things like remembering her being in the Guardian Corps-- however, it doesn't matter whether or not it makes more sense than the "they're all completely crazy" theory, because she doesn't care. ]

Do I look stupid to you?

It's not for everyone... but nothing I can't handle.

[ Which is what she keeps telling herself. The issue goes deeper than Cafeteria Knife Kid, though, so... that remains to be seen, regardless of how determined she is. ]

[ Do you know what sucks? What sucks is having class at eight in the goddamn morning. Mindful of that ring she's in possession of, Kiden rolls out of bed at 7:55, snaps into No-Time, and takes her sweet time getting to class.

For a course called 'Applied Gymnastics', Kiden's expecting some cheerleader-type in hideously-colored spandex. What she gets is...well maybe 'cheerleader' can be obliquely applied to that miniskirt, but there's nothing else about Claire Farron that fits that label. This bitch looks like she's going to shoot them, have their carcasses for breakfast, and pick her teeth with their bones--or something like that, anyway, if that face was anything to go by.

Well, shit. ]

[ That first class had been... A little rough. Not because it was anything she wasn't used to doing or learning, but... Because of Claire, naturally. It was lunchtime now, and Vanille had decided to pay a visit to the quad to see if maybe being in the sunshine would cheer her up a little... ]

[ Except who does she find there but the woman herself? ]

[ Rather than approaching, Vanille keeps her distance, taking a seat on the steps... Far enough to where she's nowhere near close to her, but close enough to watch her. ]

Edited 2011-06-10 19:21 (UTC)

[Since answering her question, even in the negative, would go nowhere good, he soldiers on.]

I know it's crazy. But so is being dumped here in this world. You don't want to listen because it's me saying this, but at some point, you'll check the old staff lists and see an entry for 'Claire 'Lightning' Farron'. Not you.

You're not the Lightning I know.

[If it's a delusion, it's done with conviction and all the layers of frustration and confusion and hurt and sadness that ought to come with that thought. And then some.]

[ And it's safe to say that Claire stands a bit too close at least once - and then neatly steps out of the way just in time - on purpose. It's almost as if she knows she's a little intimidating and is trying to make a point or something. ]

[ Expect a cheerleader, get a woman who's already an ex-lieutenant-turned-teacher at 22. 'Applied Gymnastics' may be the subtitle here, but Claire is still pretty much all military, all the time.

And she's already taking roll as people go in, which may or may not be a thinly-veiled attempt at forcing a first impression out of those she hasn't met yet. She looks up from the bound folder in her hands as Kiden approaches, not really making a secret of studying her. ]

Good morning. You are?

[ Claire's strategy for the l'Cie in her class? Ignoring their intrusion entirely, for the most part. Or at least seeming to - they definitely won't be receiving any help beyond the basic instruction... at least until they start messing up, which will undeniably attract flatly-given correction of the most unwavering level of strictness. Of course.

Honestly, she couldn't care less if they go out of the class without perfecting what it teaches, though. The idea that it should be her responsibility to strengthen her enemies at all is preposterous already.

When she catches one watching her (and have no doubt, she's definitely in-tune to that kind of thing), that doesn't sit well with her at all. Which means that Vanille's soon to have a very irritated instructor heading her way, unless she chooses to flee. ]

Well, I guess that answers that, then. [ By which she actually means her last question, though she moves on hopefully before any connections can be made. ] Must be a pretty bleak world you have going there.

[ Because if this other 'Lightning' actually exists, then there must be something tremendously wrong with her; Claire would consider it a very sorry thing to resemble someone like that.

Her reaction is mostly sarcastic and perhaps a bit purposefully incendiary, though- anger sort of stunts her thinking processes, though even later she's sure to assume that even if it's true, they won't have told her the whole story. She's not going to buy it as-is. ]

Right.

[A pause.]

Still good with your firearms?

[Just standing close like that is enough to make Maria stop and think.]

[Her rolls lose some of their grace when she starts very deliberately thinking about them and how very bad it would be to whack, or almost whack, the Instructor. But it definitely helps her suppress her reflexes.]

Instructor, do you have any advice about practicing these outside of class?

[Because no one should have the impression that she WON'T be doing this until she gets it right.]

[Poor Claire, at least in Snow's mind. Explaining just how Lightning finally opened up to him is simply impossible -- she'd never listen and never believe it if she DID listen.]

[That cheap shot doesn't hurt like she wants it to, because... well, it's true. Not how she means it, but still.]

Guess the Snow you knew wasn't much different from the Snow I was, though. Which means I... owe you an apology. On his behalf. I don't know if the stupid things he did were the same as the stupid things I did, but they were probably pretty close. Especially where Serah was concerned.

I'm sorry.

[He doesn't expect her to accept that apology. But saying sorry for the things you did, not just pretending everything was okay till you found a way to fix it all, had figured into some of the things he'd learned just a little.]

[ "Hey Claire, still alive I see... been keeping up with breathing lately?" She raises an eyebrow slightly. ]

Yes. Lately I've been trying my hand at double-barreled rifles.

[ Which probably means more than what it sounds like. Chances are she's doing something you're distinctly not supposed to do with a weapon like that. ]

[ Claire stands thoughtful for a long moment, then uncrosses her arms as she steps forward. ]

Like I said earlier, what you're doing isn't a bad reflex to have, but not every situation is going to require you come up fighting. The more flexible to different variables you are, the stronger you'll be in the long run.

[ She has a strong suspicion that learning that is going to be an ongoing process for someone like Maria, buuuut- ]

In any case, since they require a stricter form, you should find it harder to add flair to these straight-legged exercises. It's these I want you to practice the most on. Focusing on doing something else directly afterward may help too, such as segueing directly into another type of roll.

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[ action - monday ] Ϟ [ 02 ]

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Wednesday after class, and after you've all endured her

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MONDAY -- stupid o'clock (a.k.a. 8AM)

Monday, after classes, in the quad!

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