Does she do anything BESIDES train?! [Action, Open]

[gunblade-grrl.livejournal.com]

[Evening free hours find the SeeD cadet hard at work in the training room with her weapons, but unlike last semester there's something new; as her gunblades snap through the air, every once in a while there's a sharp report as of gunfire, and one of the blades jerks off at greater speed, almost randomly. It's clearly hard work; there's sweat running down her limbs and face, she's breathing hard, and the points of her weapons are starting to tremble as tiredeness saps the perfect muscular control she needs to control the weapons.]

[Given the intensity of the training, one might expect her to be frustrated or at least irritated, but to the contrary; she has a rather alarmingly savage grin on her face. She may be exhausted, but she's alive and loving it.]

Comments

[ronnae.livejournal.com]

[Ronnae had been on her way back to her dorm room, wondering if it'd be another long, cold night before the sounds of someone intensely training, or fighting, caught her attention; her ears twitching slightly at the sounds.

She made her way towards the training room and stopped a good distance away from a very focused Maria. She didn't want to approach completely as to not disturb the girl, but watched nonetheless, wanting to see how much the girl had improved since the last time she saw her fighting.]

[gunblade-grrl.livejournal.com]

[She's not that focused at the moment; that's one area she's slipped in after her workout. She turns, smiling.] Hey there!

[ronnae.livejournal.com]

[Ronnae smiled back and gave her a small wave.]

Heya, practicing hard I see. That's great~

How have you been?

[gunblade-grrl.livejournal.com]

Good! I'm looking at a fun run of classes this semester and I finally get to start using paramagic!

I really should've taken that first quarter, but... [Even she has limits...] How're you?

[ronnae.livejournal.com]

I've been pretty good. Just getting ready for this semester and such. It'll be my third so it should be fun.

I'm sort of excited truthfully.

[gunblade-grrl.livejournal.com]

For something in particular, or just in general?

[ronnae.livejournal.com]

In general really. It's, I guess it's a little bittersweet, knowing that I'll be here almost a year soon but at the same time, it hasn't really been bad.

[Maybe lonely, but not bad.]

[bunnypassingby]

You're good with those.

[This is quiet, but genuine admiration, because Mikuru sucked with one gunblade in Intro to Weapons and she's really impressed with Maria's managing to use two. Plus, though they were classmates for Military Movement last quarter, she hadn't really seen Maria use a weapon until now.

[Speaking of weapons, Mikuru's holding her own twin pistols, though she's in civvies rather than her battle maid outfit that she would have worn to class sometimes.]

[gunblade-grrl.livejournal.com]

[These particular gunblades are designed for one-handed use, to judge by their size and balance, so that's at least not insane, right?]

[She wipes her forehead with her sleeve as she turns, still smiling.]

Thanks, but I have a long way to go before I'm anywhere near competent with them.

[bunnypassingby]

[Not like Mikuru would be able to tell! Maria looks plenty competent to her, but Mikuru hasn't seen good gunblade use too much, so if someone who knows what they're doing says they're not, she'll buy it.]

How long have you been using them?

[gunblade-grrl.livejournal.com]

Complicated question. I've been training in this basic two-weapon style of fighting for years, but I didn't start using it with gunblades till last quarter when I got here.

And now I'm working on practicing with the triggers.

[bunnypassingby]

[Mikuru nods.] Two gunblades must be a lot of hard work... It's really cool that you use them!

[gunblade-grrl.livejournal.com]

Once I really get the trigger system under control it will actually be easier than using two normal swords, I think. They go a long way towards adjusting momentum and movement!

[Are you sure you want to get her down this road, Mikuru? Because she can probably go on about gunblades longer than Squall and Seifer combined.]

[alwaysanarcher.livejournal.com]

[It feels almost wrong to interrupt something so awesome, but Cissie can't help applauding at the effort. Even if she's never in here these days, it's pretty darn awesome that Maria's improving.]

[gunblade-grrl.livejournal.com]

[She's too worn-out to jump in surprise or even spin fast, so she still has a little measure of her dignity when she turns and smiles.] Oh hey!

[alwaysanarcher.livejournal.com]

[Cissie grins, waving at Maria before walking over.] Hey! Looks like you're getting a heck of a lot better.

[gunblade-grrl.livejournal.com]

I still have a long way to go, but I finally have permission to use the triggers. So it's SORT of like starting over again, but I know it's gonna be even better.

[alwaysanarcher.livejournal.com]

[she nods] Yeah, definitely! I haven't been in here a while myself, so I guess I should start... if only so I can keep up with you.

[gunblade-grrl.livejournal.com]

It's not a competition... besides, how would we even compete considering we use completely different weapons?

Oh, did you ever pick up the Blaster Edge?

[overclocking.livejournal.com]

*Sion is in the training room as well. However, she has a completely different approach to gun toting. Her Barrel Replica has been loaded with regular bullets and she's taking her time shooting down monsters. It takes her a few seconds to aim, shoot, and kill and there's absolutely no emotion in it whatsoever.

What isn't being shown is that Sion's doing the math in her head. She's figuring out in her brain within seconds the advanced mathematics required for perfect aim. Not only that, but she's running multiple mathematical equations in her head at once.

It's a completely different approach to the same weapon. Sion looks so concentrated that it doesn't look like she's having any fun at all.*

[gunblade-grrl.livejournal.com]

[Worn out as she is -- swinging around dual blades while trying to control the recoil from the trigger pulls is exhausting work, even with the Popeye-style forearms she's got -- Maria has finally slowed down enough to breath and catch a glimpse of her fellow trainee's technique. As usual, her interest goes to the weapon first.]

Is that a gun from your world, or did you pick it up here?

[She assumes naturally that Sion is off-world. It's the hair.]

[overclocking.livejournal.com]

*Purple hair is pretty fabulous. But the strangest thing happens, Sion doesn't stop firing. Her reaction time doesn't slow at all either. She just carries on a conversation regardless.*

From my own world. I loaded it with this world's bullets, however, so it currently functions as a normal gun.

[gunblade-grrl.livejournal.com]

{That IS a bit odd. But then again, of all the odd things Maria has seen in Garden since coming here, it isn't very high up.]

What does it normally fire?

[overclocking.livejournal.com]

Bullets which act as a toxin that is the equivalent of the target's life force. However, for something like this, regular bullets are much more reasonable.

[gunblade-grrl.livejournal.com]

W-wait, say that part again? Bullets that act like a toxin that... equals life force?