Is This Where You Wanna Be? Crawling On Your Hands and Knees?

[mayavericks]

[In a perfect world, Maya would have been able to isolate herself for the rest of the evening. It's not like her to wallow in her feelings, but it's also not like her to be trapped away in a murder school or part of an execution so... not like she has much choice there. Besides, between the influence of Janis, and the sight of her remaining dormmates, it's clear that Maya simply can't... let things go.

It's like she told the SQUIP. They look to her for hope. And so, hope she must be. It's her job to stand tall for the others. Thankfully help comes easier this time -- there's no need to scruff Discord, or try to keep Spongebob from making Hate Patties. Maybe that, in and of itself, is a good sign.

It's just another fluke. They'll be okay. They're together, after all. Even Salieri and Discord are getting along well enough to help.

Cutting potatoes proves to be an interesting task, considering the fact that most of the knives are missing. Maya has a few guesses as to how that happened, but she won't point fingers again today. She makes do with what she has -- two swords between her and Cassandra.

Potatoes, cakes, pies -- the arrangement is much the same. There's even cocoa (made by less experienced hands, unfortunately), and alcohol. It all feels like a repeat of last week, but she's trying to not think about it. She does her best to keep a smile on her face as she knocks on each door, inviting others to the cafeteria once more.]

Comments

[comeandfindme]

[ Watch Cassandra's movements. Imagine how she would fight. Channel it into her own performance. ]

As I'm moving forward—

[feudalladyshandmaid]

[Channel it. Focus it into your own strength. You can't be strong if all you do is rely on others.]

Concentrate. Don't you want them to live?

[comeandfindme]

[ Her muscles all tense, her jaw trembles, before she pushes it into her stance. ]

Right foot; left foot!

[feudalladyshandmaid]

--Yes, but put your whole body into it!
Everything you have, everything you ARE, you've got to give!

[Cassandra is locked in her own fierce struggle. She can picture it all in her mind's eye, even as she watches Peregrine.]

On the battlefield, when everything is chaos.
And you have nothing but the way you feel, your strategy, and a sword.
You just think about the life you'd have, together, after the war!

And then you do it for her.
That's how you know you can win!

You do it for her - That is to say... you do it for him.

[She catches herself, bluntly. Like a parried blow.]

They say, deep down, you weren't built for fighting.
But that doesn't mean you're not prepared to try.
What they don't know, is your real advantage; when you live for someone, you're prepared to die!

[comeandfindme]

[ It's like she's a different person— so intense, so fierce. But, Peregrine takes to a harsh philosophy or two pretty easily, doesn't she? That's all that Howl's about. She follows instruction, trying to move the sword as Cassandra says.

And, through all this... Peregrine's...starting to wonder... Who is Cassandra talking about? ]

Deep down, I know, that I'm just a human—

[feudalladyshandmaid]

[It's all about knowing your enemy, being able to psych them out on the battlefield, turn the strengths of your enemies into weaknesses. But it's not just that.

Focus on the practical things in life. Take responsibility. Earn your keep. Prove they can trust you.

Cassandra's... not all here. She's somewhere else, locked in an argument, or a fight. Or both. All she knows is that she wants to win.

But, just as quickly as she's in that zone, Cassandra returns to the gymnasium.]

True.
But you know that you can draw your sword--

[comeandfindme]

[ Gritting her teeth, turning the sword in her hands, wishing she had a real opponent to fight— ]

But I know that I can draw my sword and fight!
With my short existence—

[feudalladyshandmaid]

[If only she had a second sword. Cassandra would make that happen.]

Good-

[comeandfindme]

I can make a difference!

[ In this moment, she actually believes that. ]

[feudalladyshandmaid]

[In this moment, she believes it too.]

Yes, excellent!

[comeandfindme]

I can hold on for him,
I would be his knight.

[ To fight in his memory. To make sure no one else gets taken advantage of. She pivots on heel, to parry an invisible blade. ]

I can do it for him!

[feudalladyshandmaid]

You do it for her.

[Cassandra claps, nodding to Peregrine's parry-pivot. Good - as a start.]

Okay, now do that again.

[comeandfindme]

Yes, ma'am!

[ And again. ]

[feudalladyshandmaid]

[Nice.]

You do it for her, and now you say--

[comeandfindme]

I'll do it for him.

[ Already tired from her extensive workout, Peregrine's sweating bullets. She breathes heavily, sword tight in her grasp. ]

[feudalladyshandmaid]

[Somehow, Cassandra's breathing almost as hard.]

Alright, good.

[A hand comes to rest on Peregrine's shoulder - it's Cassandra, nodding to her.]

How do you feel?

[comeandfindme]

[ A few quiet moments with just the sound of her breathing. ]

I... Tired.

[ Very tired. ]

[feudalladyshandmaid]

Tired's good.

[pat pat]

You deserve a rest after that.

[comeandfindme]

[ ... ]

Sure.

[ She doesn't sound like she believes that! But! Maybe it's a little hard to stand right now. ]