Day in the Life [Action | DISGUISED multiple choice!]

[gunblade-grrl.livejournal.com]

[Six o'clock; wake up, yawning and bleary. Maria can't pretend she gets enough sleep. Despite that she never dawdles in the morning; she's always close to the front of the cafeteria line, a shelf's worth of books crammed in the massive duffel bag she uses where most normal people would have a backpack or somesuch. Breakfast and homeroom she usually spends reading.]

[In class, who could ask for a more model student? She reads ahead and extra, she's a quick learner, and (somewhat helpfully) she's a world native, so has a lot of the background the classes tend to assume. The only exception to this enthusiasm is the Garden Code, which even she finds excruciatingly dry and boring. Nevertheless, Maria studies it diligently too.]

[It's at 5:30 that it starts to break down. She's supposed to be in extracurriculars, but... she hasn't really found one that appeals to her. So Maria simply grabs her weapons and spends the next few hours in the Training Center, striving to master her gunblades. This lasts... right up until she gets hurt badly enough to quit. Which tends to happen. She's going in there with only a GF Junction; not even a cure spell to keep her going.]

[The folks in the infirmary are probably quite familiar with her by now.]

[After that, study time, then bed (perhaps a little later than curfew).]

[[OOC: as usual, just say where you meet her!]]

Comments

Well, as it's Tuesday... Just outside the training center!

[focusedfate.livejournal.com]

[Cid is en route from the dormitories to the library, two books in his hands, when he sees Maria coming out of the training center. She looks a little--or rather, a lot--worse for the wear, so he comes over, a look of concern on his face.]

Cadet Cyphert?

[He's not exactly unfamiliar with the idea of cadets pushing their limits in the training center, but still, Maria looks like she's gone beyond even that.]

[gunblade-grrl.livejournal.com]

Sir!

[Despite the fact that she's dragging, she hauls herself upright to salute. Which she somehow manages, despite her condition. Tonight had not been a good night in the Training Center; she'd had to run from a T-Rexaur (which she never, ever fought), but did so right into a pack of grats. And after defeating them, she'd been jumped by a second one.]

[So thanks to their tentacles, she has several open if clotted wounds on her legs and arms, a large slash on her back that's still oozing a little, a myriad of bruises on her forearms, and a black eye. This is one of her worse trips from the Training Center, actually, though not THE worst. Thank goodness for Cure paramagic.]

[focusedfate.livejournal.com]

[Upon closer inspection, Maria looks even worse than he had originally expected. Cid's honestly a little surprised she is managing to pull off a salute for him, and he's quick to wave it off, not wanting her to strain herself any further.]

Would you come this way with me for a moment?

[He gestures in the direction of the training center with a slight tilt of the head, but Cid stops rather abruptly a few steps in, just barely away from the hustle and bustle of lobby area. Glancing about, he casts a quick curasa on her. It's nothing fancy like what they'd do for her in the infirmary, but Cid would feel rather uncomfortable leaving her like this if he didn't do something.]

What exactly happened to you in there, Cadet? You were without a scratch when I saw you yesterday.

[gunblade-grrl.livejournal.com]

Yes, sir.

[She wobbles along behind him those few steps, all the more determined to not show any weakness in front of the Instructor. She fails, of course, but it's a pretty good effort.]

[When the magic hits, she gasps a little at the sudden relief, which is so palpable it almost hurts for a moment, then slumps a little.]

Two packs of three grats, sir. I couldn't safely get away from either one of them.

[She won't mention the numerous scratches she'd accumulated last night.]

[focusedfate.livejournal.com]

And you do not have access to any healing spells? Or what of some potions?

[He gives her a worried look before offering her a small smile.]

While your dedication to your training is admirable, I'd hate to lose one of my best students because of it.

TO THE INFIRMARY!!

[swatting-flies.livejournal.com]

Hey, Doc! You have any athletic tape I can borrow? I'm kinda out--Oh, hey, Ma--Whoa, what the hell happened to yer face?!

[gunblade-grrl.livejournal.com]

You know just how to talk to a girl, sir.

[Wry, even as she offers him the best salute she can from her bed. It looks worse than it is just because head wounds bleed like mad, and she has several: slashes on her forehead, cheek, chin, nose, and neck.]

The last grat got under my guard. Stupid move on my part. I was trying to get too fancy.

[swatting-flies.livejournal.com]

Oh--My bad. But I mean! Scars are like badges of honor, right? So it's, like, a good thing. Seriously!

Ohhh... yyyeah. Those frickin' grats. They're a couple'a gil a dozen, but once ya get too confident, they end up nailin' ya! We've all been there...

So where's Kadowaki? Guess she's helpin' someone else... You seen her whip out any tape today? I could get some at Balamb, but I wanna train now...

[gunblade-grrl.livejournal.com]

I haven't scarred yet. I hope I don't, but it's less important that being skilled. I think she went to draw another Cure.

[She points at a cabinet.]

Try in there, but what are you doing?

[swatting-flies.livejournal.com]

Oh... Well that's good... then!

Oh! Good thinkin', thanks!

Ehhh I ran out of athletic tape and it's jes harder on my hands without it when I hit the sandbags and--Hey, found some!

Same with monsters too-- --It's like hittin' the side of a growlin' barn. Hurts, but, man, it's still a great feelin' ta beat the crap outta somethin' with yer bare hands!

Err, well... ;

Cafeteria, of course.

[gumbogifted.livejournal.com]

[Tiana is carrying several trays worth of food items to the buffet line. These are balanced all the way up her arms like a damn pro, and she had coordination enough to make some of the actual military strategists jealous. Guess waitressing was good for something.]

Comin' through -- Good mornin'! -- 'scuse me!

[gunblade-grrl.livejournal.com]

[It does impress her! She doesn't have anywhere near that fine a balance all up her arms and she knows it!]

[She quickly steps to the side to let her pass, then forms up in line again.]

That smells delicious, ma'am!

[She always has a kind or complimentary word. Oddly, it's not because she's that sort of person. That's the sort of person she feels she should be, so she makes a conscious and deliberate effort.]

[gumbogifted.livejournal.com]

[Tiana is utterly grateful for the moving out of her way. Most people do here, not wanting to mess with the people who do their food, but sometimes... She smiles, setting their trays in their proper place.]

Thank you -- on both accounts. An' it's just Tiana.

[She supposes she'll have to get used to ma'am, particularly when she does start helping Naveen with royal things back home, but... Tiana works just fine with her. She has no idea the compliment was an effort on her part, but appreciates it nonetheless.]

[gunblade-grrl.livejournal.com]

Sorry... I'll probably forget again, too.

[It's a habit she can't shake. She's just a teenage girl who's been accepted to Balamb Garden; everyone here who isn't a fellow cadet, and even some of them who are, get the formal treatment. Despite two months of schooling here, she hasn't managed to loosen up at all.]

[gumbogifted.livejournal.com]

That's fine. It's nothin' to worry about.

[She smiles reassuringly. While she'd prefer to be called just Tiana, she knows it's something she's going to have to get used to.]

Infirmary!

[alwaysanarcher.livejournal.com]

[Cissie was just stopping by to grab some aspirin for her headache, but the sight of Maria here gives her pause. After a moment, she bites her lip and immediately rushes over.]

Maria! What happened?

[gunblade-grrl.livejournal.com]

Oh, grats. You know how it goes! You fight enough of them and they're bound to get some hits in!

Why're you here?

[alwaysanarcher.livejournal.com]

[Not really... but she'll smile and nod and pretend for Maria's sake.] If you ever need another party member, I wouldn't mind training with you.

Aspirin. [She holds up the bottle she's been given.] I've had this massive headache all day, so I figured some would ease it.

[gunblade-grrl.livejournal.com]

Oh, sure! That'd be good, sometime!

[Maria is just an ordinary girl with what are really ordinary weapons, at the moment.]

Ooh, are you okay?

[alwaysanarcher.livejournal.com]

[She nods, flashing a smile at her.] Yeah, I'm fine. It's just headaches from studying too much.

between classes at some point :F

[subjected]

[ It's undeniable that at this point Maria tends to have Claire's attention a little more than most of the cadets she teaches- as such... even when distracted by other things, she really wouldn't be herself at all if she didn't notice the gunblade enthusiast looking kind of rough around the edges.

She's also pretty aware that the cadets are more or less on their own in most cases here, and though that might work fine for someone like how Claire had been or the older ones in general... just who is keeping a leash here on the more... teenaged examples?

So yeah, have a surprise Farron in the hallway, her face serious as she follows and then falls into step beside the younger woman. ]

Cadet Cyphert, I need to talk to you a minute.

[gunblade-grrl.livejournal.com]

[She salutes properly, first things first!]

Yes, ma'am. I'm at your disposal.

[One thing's for sure, Maria has no idea if this is good or bad. Try as she might she can't read past her instructor's serious face the vast majority of the time.]

[subjected]

[ Claire inclines her head, then gestures briefly towards stepping out of the way where they're less likely to be listened in on. And no worries, she's... already writing up a pass on top of her folder, just in case she makes the girl late to her next class. ]

You're looking worse for wear lately. [ Yep, skipping right to the point here. She's already seen the tiredness and bandaging, obviously, and she hasn't forgotten how she'd been in the training center late that one time while claiming to have lost track of time... but even so: ] Why?

[gunblade-grrl.livejournal.com]

I... don't know? [Honestly, she doesn't find her own schedule insane or outrageous. It makes perfect sense to her. She's training to be a SeeD. She has to give 120%.] Am I -- am I doing badly in class, ma'am?

[subjected]

[ The SeeD's brows come together, her gaze sharp, but she's actually a little surprised here. If it's what she thinks it is, the fact that the girl isn't jumping into an explanation about how this has been her dream and so on and so forth, that means... she probably has no idea. ]

... Cadet Cyphert, you're working yourself too hard.