[Action | Open to Fourth Wall | Lots of places, lots of times!]

[gunbladegrrl]

[Maria has been engaged in some particularly worrying behavior lately!]

[For one, she missed a few days of classes. Which is a first (and in her intention, a last). Perhaps even stranger, she hasn't been training for a while. And that puts her on edge, tight and wound-up like a spring twisted too tight. Which has manifested as a tendency to stalk about Garden as if looking for something, though she never seems to find it.]

[Today, though, that tension and anxiety has eased slightly. On the other hand, Maria has finally again started to carry her massive duffel bag full of books and various items -- and by her expression as she walks through the halls, doing so clearly leaves her in pain. Pain she grits her teeth against and refuses to succumb to, but that's Maria.]

[Help her? Mock her?]

Comments

[eiusumbra]

[Shadow still feels pretty guilty for her current state of pain, but his pride got in the way of her trying to kick his rump, so he retaliated. With too much power, it seems. He'll walk alongside her.

Even though he's human himself, Shadow still wonders how so many other have survived with such frail bodies.]

You're overdoing it. [An appropriate choice of words.]

[gunbladegrrl]

Neither classes nor training stop because I'm injured, sir. I won't make myself worse.

[She can't get away with ignoring him. He outranks her, after all. But man, does she want to.]

[eiusumbra]

[He doesn't entirely believe that, considering what she's carrying now, but he won't say much on it.

Shadow steps in front of her.]

...I should apologize for injuring you so severely. [How was he supposed to know she had limit breaks like that?]

[gunbladegrrl]

[She stops, mostly out of a lack of way to go past him without escalating a confrontation.]

No apologies are necessary, sir. It was an instructive lesson on my comparative lack of power and skill. Particularly since I grossly underperformed due entirely to my own unfamiliarity with paramagic.

[After all that, while she isn't exactly his new best friend, a large part of her anger and irritation is pointed firmly at herself.]

[eiusumbra]

You don't lack the power and skill. You lack the means to put what you've learned to action. What you're doing is just unbalanced and not taking into account of your enemy. If you want, I can assist you at improving on that.

[gunbladegrrl]

I have no doubt that you know precisely how to defeat an opponent capable of moving at a speed that renders your every action moot. Sir. I assure you, however, I've already recognized what I should have done in that situation.

[Her words are as hard and sharp as her weapons.]

[eiusumbra]

Then tell me, if you're so sure.

[The sharp words do not go unnoticed. He could understand the reasoning behind it. Maria is just as prideful as himself.]

[gunbladegrrl]

[She's also pissed you beat the crap out of her in a spar, dude.]

Given the nature of the power you displayed, sir, I suspect that it would be possible to Draw Haste and Stop spells from you. The former especially would have leveled the laying field.

[eiusumbra]

[He wipes the floor with everyone. She needs to get over it.]

Then why didn't you? By now, you must have learned about it.

[gunbladegrrl]

[She will break that streak someday. So she has vowed.]

I have been training with weapons for years, and paramagic for mere months, sir. However, you can rest assured that a lesson on neglecting all paramagic options has been drilled into me in a way I will not forget.

[eiusumbra]

[She sounds like Sonic. A goal like that is just what she needs.]

What will you do now, then?

[gunbladegrrl]

[Maria has goals! They're all focused on being the best. The girl has a thirst to prove herself. This was... a rough setback, in those terms.]

If I had any doubts about taking all the advanced paramagic classes, this has settled them.

[eiusumbra]

[Shadow has a firm belief that he is the best. The Ultimate Lifeform has to be, of course.]

When you're ready for a rematch to test those new skills of yours, let me know. You're on the right path, but a lot of fine tuning can go a long way. [It's his nice way of saying 'you're doing well. Keep it up and someday you'll beat me.']

[gunbladegrrl]

That will be a while, sir. [A quarter and a half at least, hopefully a better GF to Junction, and some effort to get her hands on some paramagic worth Junctioning. She had only the strengths of a SeeD to rely on, no powers of her own to fight with. She had to make what she could use count.]

[eiusumbra]

[Shadow is pretty much immortal. He can wait.]

I'll be around. There aren't many missions going around just yet.

[gunbladegrrl]

With all due respect, sir, you can't guarantee that...

[Time Compression and all.]

But the sentiment is understood.

[eiusumbra]

True enough. [One would think being able to control time a bit would mean being able to come and go as he pleases.

Shadow steps out of her way, finally, allowing her to continue on to whatever she had planned.]

[gunbladegrrl]

[She shifts her bag to salute, though both the motion and the gesture clearly pain her, and then continues on as allowed.]

[filming]

[This is Peyton's second time here since his initial appearance. Though his first reaction is to roll his eyes - he can't say he finds being told his girlfriend's dating someone else particularly fun - his gaze catches on this girl hauling a giant bag.]

What are you carrying there, bricks? Let me help you.

[gunbladegrrl]

Thanks, but this is my usual bag... if I'm having trouble, I won't get used to it again if I let other people move it.

[Stubborn girl, but she at least tries to smile. It takes some effort to not snap, but she knows the request is well-meant and is determined not to be mean about it.]

[filming]

So is that [he mimics her prior expression of pain] your usual face to go with the bag, then?

[Despite his actual concern, he keeps his tone light. That stubbornness kind of intrigues him.]

[gunbladegrrl]

No, but then, usually I'm not out of shape. [Which isn't true at all, especially considering that lifting a bag that heavy shows off some fairly powerful arm and shoulder muscles. It's pride speaking, though.]

[filming]

Out of shape, or injured? [Because if those arms are her idea of "out of shape"... Peyton needs to spend more time at the gym.]

[gunbladegrrl]

The former from the latter. [Which isn't true, though Maria thinks at this point she's done enough freaking healing and damn well ought to be fine now.]

[filming]

I thought you were meant to go easy on injuries so you don't make them worse.

[gunbladegrrl]

These are almost healed. I need to keep myself from locking up, keeping flexible, all that stuff.

[It's mostly crap.]

[filming]

If you say so. [But he'll still walk with her as a spotter just in case.]

So are you from this world, or somewhere else? [Curiosity, getting the better of him...]

[gunbladegrrl]

Yes, I am. [She smiles wryly] There ARE still a few of us here and there, even if most of them seem intent on embarrassing us by being flaming bitches.

[filming]

[He wrinkles his nose.] Glad I ran into you instead of one of the bitches, then.

[gunbladegrrl]

[She smiles, than catches herself and shakes her head.] I shouldn't be that way. They just... don't like off-worlders, and are too catty in flaunting that. It's embarrassing.

[filming]

Oh, like New Yorkers and tourists. [Realizing that reference isn't going to fly with her, he backtracks.] People in the city I go to school in.

Don't let them get you down, though, just keep on being better than them.

[gunbladegrrl]

It's just embarrassing to be lumped with them. If people meet them first, they'll assume things about me...

[filming]

Better race them to meet people, then.

[gunbladegrrl]

With everything I do, I only WISH I had time to be an ambassador to off-worlders.

[She sighs. That's actually a real wish.]

[filming]

What's 'everything'? I didn't hear too much about this place last time I was here.

[gunbladegrrl]

Oh, this is a school for mercenaries. Besides weapons training, survival skills, leadership, tactics, and so forth, we also learn how to Junction GFs and utilize paramagic.

[filming]

[His eyebrows lift slightly at "mercenaries", but the survival skills and leadership training sound pretty legit.]

Okay, you lost me on that last one.

[gunbladegrrl]

Guardian Forces are energy beings that exist on a wavelength compatible with humans, or as it turns out most sentient beings. By uniting, or Junctioning, a human and a GF, the human gains powers and abilities from that GF.

[filming]

Wow. Sounds like something out of a fantasy novel.

So what's your favorite part?

[gunbladegrrl]

Gunblades.

[Immediate, firm, and without question.]

[filming]

Exactly what it sounds like? [On one hand, Peyton forms a pretend gun with thumb and forefinger, slashes it like a sword a couple of times, and then puts it to his head.]

[gunbladegrrl]

No, not at all... Think of a sword but with a grip like a firearm. Instead of firing bullets, pulling the trigger sends an explosive shockwave down the blade.

[filming]

That's a misleading name.

[gunbladegrrl]

It's still what they're called.

[She's noticably cooling quickly. If you talk down about gunblades, you're talking down about her very existence, damn it!]

[filming]

They sound cool. [And that's sincere, rather than a reaction to her cooling down. But he still thinks the name is misleading.]

[gunbladegrrl]

They're incredibly hard to use. That's why more people don't -- it's much easier to train a bunch of soldiers to use swords, or guns, than to use gunblades.

[filming]

[He nods, though he does briefly raise an eyebrow at "swords".] You must be good, then, if you're using them.

[gunbladegrrl]

[She ducks her head and smiles a little.]

I have a lot to learn and a long way to go still.