Let's Get Down To Business [Susan/Cecilia]

It has been a long time coming. Maria didn't think it would ever arrive, but after last night's events, it couldn't be put off any longer. Susan and Cecilia would receive a phone call from Maria to meet at a certain secluded part of Sunlake Palms in comfortable clothing for exercise. And of course, at their most opportune moment in their schedule. When the duo arrived, they'd notice something so starkly different from the rest of the Palms. A steel gate with chain-linked fences greeted them, but it was left largely open. When they filed inside it was clear that there were all sorts of junk in the entire area. Cars, electronics, and all sorts of abandoned items were sent here. It wasn't a trash heap or else they would be heaving or choking for air to be sure. No, it was a junkyard. Eventually, there was a clearing and in the middle of it was someone familiar.

Susan had frowned at the message when she received it. She liked Maria, she honestly did, but the short woman detested physical exercise. It ate away valuable time in her schedule she could spend working or reading, she couldn't multitask during it, it made her feel weak, uncomfortable, and sweaty. She wished she could have her time spent better studying tactics or the enemy instead, sitting down in an air-conditioned office space with stacks of paper and books discussing strategy. Not lifting weights in a stuffy gym. But she wouldn't protest. Couldn't, really. Maria was a superior officer and this was a reasonable request, though to be honest her earliest convenience came in November during the holiday draw-down. The businesswoman sighed and tapped her response on the touchscreen. This was something she needed to dedicate time to regardless, despite how much she loathed lifting heavy things and putting them back down repeatedly.


The next day Susan would be prepared. In a sense. She still did not want to do this however she had dressed herself in her pink sneakers, tennis shorts, and a powder blue polo shirt and allotted time in her day to undergo this endeavor. Non-collared shirts were rarely appropriate, even for exercise in her opinion. Of course she had requested shortly after sunrise, when the day would be cool and she would have time free before she had to work. Susan had to send an email to her boss arguing that she was allowed 3 hours of physical fitness time during her week that could be taken during work, and that even if she did not use it before she could still use it now and nowhere did the regulations say she could not do so in the first hour of her day. Mr. Thornton would not be happy but neither would Susan, so entropy remained the same.

Fortunately enough for her the location was a short drive. She honestly could have walked but Susan would want her car there since she would need to report to work directly afterward. And since her gun was in the trunk. She drove right past it at first. And then a second time. It took the third time for Susan to realize that Maria had meant the junkyard and another fourth time to find someplace to park where she could see her car most of the time and it likely wouldn't be broken into. She set her alarm just in case. Sighing once more the businesswoman turned off her vehicle and prepared to get sweaty for no good reason. Maria was there looking chipper, of course, and Susan would be normally pleasant being the morning person she was but there was an unenjoyable activity at hand. But she would make a minimum effort.


Of course she would try to plant that bug in the nun's ear. At least indoor gyms had water sources and air-conditioning and bathrooms.

There'd been genuine dread in Cecilia's heart. Ever since that promise "she" had made during the lunch with Maria she'd been fearing this moment. Rationally speaking she should've been overjoyed at the prospect of receiving training (especially from the nun of all people), but... she knew deep down that this was unrelated to any sort of lack of experience, that trouble would inevitably arise from this course. Yet she also knew she had been backed into a corner: the offer had already been accepted and even putting it specifically aside, there was no way she could keep averting her gaze from the issue forever, no way she could pretend that this current path would lead anywhere productive.

Still, perhaps there was some hope to be had that today wouldn't be the day it all came crashing down. She'd initially assumed that they'd be jumping straight into combat, but the call had come at daytime and the locale chosen was Sunlake Palms of all places, leading her to question her previous worries and assumptions about the training. Whatever the truth behind the regiment though, Cecilia would regardless follow through on her word and accept Maria's invitation. Following the advice given and slipping into a light, unrestrictive sundress that she typically wore when playing dancing games at Arcadia, the girl would head over to the spot Maria had selected and briefly fire off a scrutinizing glare at it before entering to rendezvous. It was an odd choice of scenery to be sure and she was surprised to even find such an unsightly area in the quaint little district, but she figured there had to be a purpose to it and saw no reason to doubt the nun's decision. No matter how she felt about it however, she'd up wandering through the maze of wrecked cars for a short period of time before finally catching a glimpse of her blue-haired friend, rushing up to greet her immediately once she did.


Releasing a lighthearted laugh as she ground to a halt and took her position to the side of the woman, Cecilia'd notice Susan's presence not long after, smiling slightly and waving to her in spite of what seemed to be a relatively poor mood. "Oh, hey there Ms. Groves. I can't say I expected to see you here, but the more the merrier." She spoke as a twinge of genuine relief arose in her. While time alone with Maria had always been pleasant, the specific circumstances of the current situation made this the more preferable option, albeit one she hadn't realized existed until just now. Maybe she had missed some kind of memo? It had been pretty early in the morning when the nun-in-training called, so it wouldn't be a shocker if she had ended up zoning out and missing the fact that another Cadet would be accompanying them.

"Oh, a gym? We do have one in the Church that's better, but I figured I would show you how I used to train first. My teacher said outside weather helps to build more character when you're training. Or at least that's what he claimed." Maria didn't seem to be taking a hint at all. Hell, she seemed as if she was looking forward to this day. While Maria was very uncertain how to go about it initially, the little advice from Jorge gave her a bit of confidence. She gave a friendly wave towards Cecilia which was also half apologetic. "Good to see you, Cecilia. I brought Susan here since she needs the training just as much as you do. I apologize for the inconvenience."

It was usually hard to find a junkyard like this in this more secluded part of Sunlake Palms. It needed to be, since there was all this kind of junk that would foul up the pleasant atmosphere of the rest of the district. Plus when the place was in operation with all of its mechanized machinery, it can be quite a dangerous place. She began to point out towards an enclosed space between the stacked cars. "Well, we're also here because one of our church-goers owns this place. The magnetic machine he uses is in need for repairs and some of his service staff got injured by the malfunction. I figured this might be a good opportunity to help him out and get you all ready through the same routines I used to do. So we can begin with several laps around the yard after a good long stretch and warm-up. Any questions?"

She should have known there was a reason behind the choice.
"Y-yes, of course." Although, it was not a reason she was happy with but Susan had resolved that she would likely not enjoy the events of this morning. Personally she saw no difference between lifting weights and lifting... bumpers or... whatever... heavy car things they would lift. A-Assuming that was the planned activity. The same muscle groups would be engaged at the same tension, she would have preferred the gym. Rather she would have preferred not to burn her mouth guzzling coffee on the way over and to read her newspaper for 10 more minutes instead of engaging in physical activity but life was a series of sacrifices.

"Good morning Cecilia. It is nice to see you..." the businesswoman sighed in defeat. She did not want to be so impersonal yet Maria's assertion that they both "needed the training" was both accurate and embarrassing. It was shameful to admit she was deficient in an area, well, that was not completely correct, but it was shameful to have it pointed out by someone else rather than admitting to it herself. Even if she obviously did not more physical training. Honestly she hoped that she could sneakily improve herself over time and by herself and that she could finally keep up on missions, it could escape notice if she kept within her role to where how physically powerful she was never came into relevance. But... this was an opportunity for growth and a team bonding experience...! Even if she hated doing it Susan would not make complaints or whine. But she did have relevant concerns.

"Yes, I have one," Susan spoke up. "I trust you have done your due diligence but it is my personal responsibility to verify: has the route been checked for safety? I... have concerns about running in a junkyard, especially with malfunctioning equipment present. I would not want anyone to step on any loose nails or risk tripping over discarded trash and landing on rusted metal or glass." And of course, she wouldn't bring forth this concern without a possible solution. To do so without trying to fix the problem would be needless bellyaching.
"I-If not I would like to suggest as part of our warm-up we walk one lap to familiarize ourselves with the path and inspect the area for possible safety hazards."

Cecilia did her best to reassure Maria, although it was evident from Susan's tone that the nun wasn't the one in need of that. Unlike with her blue-haired friend, it was immediately apparent to the girl that the businesswoman was in a poor mood, a fact she couldn't exactly blame her for; most people weren't good with mornings and getting asked to tread out to a junkyard for the start of a series of rigorous training sessions certainly wasn't going to change that. For a second she considered speaking up on her comrade's behalf, however, she'd decide against it after a moment of deliberation: they'd already trekked all the way out here and shining a spotlight on Susan would likely just end up making the situation worse for her. Instead, she'd simply give an encouraging fist-pump and issue a prayer to Isla to bless the woman, hoping for the best and resigning herself to let things sort themselves out until further notice. "Likewise! Let's do our best today! A couple laps shouldn't be any issue for grade-A Cadets like us."

Courage Boost!:

While she wouldn't offer any questions or concerns of her own, she would nod in agreement after Susan voiced hers. It was a sensible safety suggestion and she was happy to lend her (figurative) voice to it knowing it would likely make the woman more comfortable, though part of her suspected Maria had already surveyed the area for such hazards. After all, was the nun-in-training ever unprepared?

"Mhm! That's the name of the game!" She smiled and nodded in agreement with Cecilia. It was really a nice day outside despite what happened in recent times. Even if they were supposed to train to ready themselves for the next incoming missions, this was at least a kind of reprieve from all of the hectic nature from Cadet work. Or at least, that's what she liked to believe. She was just about ready to speed off on a rush to stomp her way through the meandering and linking paths in the junkyard until Susan voiced her concerns. "Of course. I checked last night and spent a lot of the time brushing aside every bit of it with the manager and some of his guys helping me. I double-checked just a moment ago before you all arrived. So I'm sure it'll be fine. Nothing will hurt you here. And besides, I'm here to help whenever you need it. Now I know walking sounds good, but it's best to jog a little to get that heart-rate up. Don't worry, I'll stay at your pace. If there aren't any other questions, let's begin!"

Maria gave a small gesture at them to follow her to the path. She would be careful to stay at their level, of course. And the fellow Cadets would find true to her word, it was more or less spotless for their safety. Yet, perhaps to their chagrin, it was a long winding path with sharp and smooth turns. Some lengths of the trail had a remarkable incline that would easily be a challenge for nonathletic people.

Despite Cecilia and Maria's exuberance Susan would remain staunch in her dreading of this activity, and even more considering what activity. Of all physical exercise running was among Susan's least favorite and that was saying something. The only place she liked to run was to and from her office and the only thing she enjoyed lifting was a good book. But... she would do it. In the name of self-improvement. She had to at least keep on-par with the other Cadets, or at the minimum be acceptably fit. I-it couldn't hurt to lose a few pounds. This would be a good thing...!
"Th-that is good to hear, Maria," Susan stuttered, disappointed she could not start with a walk to warm her muscles, "Very dutiful of you." It was a rare compliment, she did not give those out often. Most of the time they were irrelevant or just polite... but it was easy to see why Maria was valued to her degree among the Cadets. She was the ideal, something to strive for in resolve and deed. Susan would need to work to function at her standard if she wanted to get anywhere in this field.

...but Susan really did not want to. She wanted to stay home and bake and read and write reports, that's what her heart truly desired. It was because she had to, whether she wanted to or not was irrelevant.


Susan would reluctantly begin to run no sooner than the others started their jog, easily falling behind the younger girls. Running was her Achilles heel, she was not built for it in any sense of the word. She was short, squatter, and there were certain aspects of her anatomy that were not aerodynamic. Maria and Cecilia would find themselves needing to slow down to allow Susan to catch up but to her credit she did not stop or resort to walking, even uphill. Even if she did not get anywhere fast and speed-walking may have been faster. When all was said and done the warm-up had become Susan's workout and she was drenched in sweat and panting for breath. The whole experience was suffering for her.

Susan slowed to a stop when the other girls would and placed her hands behind her back to open up her chest and allow her lungs to take in more oxygen, taking shaky steps on legs that had not seen running since... around the Eternal Divide when they carried her on their own, honestly. It was incredible what adrenaline could do for a person. And youth. And not being able to use a stove for upwards of 6 years. In the back of her mind Susan longed to be in college again, to actually be somewhat thin and fit. She wasn't an athlete by any means but the businesswoman remembered when she was a few sizes smaller.
"*Haaaaa.... Haaaa...*" she gasped "*Haaaa... gulp* We are... *Haaaa...* ...w-we are finished with the warm-up now... *Haaaaa....* ...c-correct...? *Haaaaa...*" She did not look forward to the next activity on the list, obviously being much harder than a simple jog and yet Susan would be eager for it. To get this over with as soon as physically possible.

Cecilia wouldn't face much trouble; she was well-acquainted with jogging and a short one around the area was nothing strenuous. She'd keep up with Maria just fine for the most part, although her eyes would drift to Susan who was... certainly having a different experience. For a brief moment she had to wonder how the businesswoman was capable of getting exhausted from this after running around Domains and doing patrols across the city, but then again she hadn't been with the Cadets for long, so perhaps Cecilia was projecting experiences onto her. If that was the case then it only seemed like a miracle that she was able to get so exhausted from this; that still probably said a lot though.

Slowing down deliberately and even occasionally feigning fatigue for the woman's sake, Cecilia would run her sleeve across her forehead by the end of it, wiping it of admittedly nonexistent sweat as she stared at the two women. The businesswoman's exhaustion was apparent and if Maria didn't act first then the pink-haired girl would make the suggestion in her place. "Yeah looks like we're all done! You guys mind if we take a short break though? I think my legs could use a little rest."

As they finally began to jog, Maria knew she needed to keep at pace. But when exercise finally started, she really was tempted to go on ahead and go at her own rhythm ahead of them. But that said, she really wasn't tired. In fact, not a single sweat can be seen on her brow. This was like taking a brisk walk for her at this point. Though the same can't really be said for Susan or even Cecilia. She did hear she was more of a desk-jockey remembering from her interactions with her and doing some research. "Sure, take a breather. Put your arms on your head and breathe slowly. You'll catch your breath faster that way. Let me know when you're all ready."

That said, she put one hand on the ground before vaulting her feet into the air to start doing a one-handed handstand-pushup. Really, she wanted to go at her own pace, but it wouldn't do good for her comrades who were still remarkably behind. So, she decided to do her own warm-ups while waiting for them to rest. Even while she was still in the middle of said exercises while alternating her arms, she was able to speak normally. "When was the last time you two exercised, by chance? Just so I can have a better idea where you are. I don't want either of you hurt in the process."

The businesswoman was overjoyed that Cecilia had asked for a break, she herself would not have despite how much she wanted one.  Susan would never admit that she needed the rest until it came to the point that she could no longer perform. Quite honestly she would rather succumb to physical exhaustion than to request an easier workout. She may complain a bit, sure, but she would not accept quitting.
"Yes... haaaaa... That... that sounds good...! Haaaaa..." Susan did as instructed, placing her arms behind her head as she took difficult steps back and forth and tried to breath. She had been so immersed in her own personal suffering she did not even notice that it wasn't just Maria who had little difficulty with their workout, and that Cecilia had been holding back. Her mind had been occupied with far more important matters such as how much she did not want to be running or the blatant fact that exercise was torture. Her face was red and she was already sweating profusely. Maria had been correct in that Susan and physical activity were currently not on good speaking terms.

As they milled about, Susan breathing the hardest out of the three, Maria would intimidate them with handstand pushups that sent a very vague fear to her brain that was: she would be expected to do those as well. Her mind wracked itself for any method she could use to prepare for this upcoming workout, which unfortunately came to naught but you get better by practicing. Which was a shame because Susan did not want to do this more than she had to, but she must.
"Do... do missions count...?" she panted, taking a gulp, "Not... haaaaaa.... n-not since college... haaaaa... that was so long ago..." In truth, until the Cadets she hadn't really worked out since shortly after the Eternal Divide. As she perceived it life did not present her the opportunity... though this was a false belief. Susan was aware that it was not a matter of time, but priorities. And she threw herself into her work instead.

It was definitely refreshing to see her request went through... though to see Susan standing there panting exhaustedly for an extended period of time really put things into perspective for Cecilia, especially and awkwardly made clear by its contrast to Maria's behavior, the nun still energetically engaging in her warm up with ten times as much power to burn than either of them combined. "I exercise rather frequently! Nothing too strenuous, but a jog around this district's main residential area is a part of my daily routine; I'd likely be doing it right now if I wasn't here. If missions count though then it'd be..." Her voice trailed off for a moment and she paused with a slight frown, swiftly shaking her head as if to break it free from the grip of any rogue thoughts, her hands slipping into her skirt's empty pockets. "Anyway, yeah, that would be the most recent inevitably."

Oh, it was worse than she thought when hearing Susan's own history behind physical exercise. Well, not really that bad. Maria began to realize not that many Cadets had that much physical activity, despite going on so many missions as of late. It was rather strange. But, it didn't mean Susan couldn't improve, even if she were some kind of frail bookworm. Though Cecilia on the other hand, she was glad her peer was at least taking care of herself. But it also meant the pinkette also needed to get up to speed. She did, however, notice the apprehension in Susan's voice. "Oh, this? No, no, no! I wouldn't worry about it! Just focus on what you're able to do. I won't push you so hard that you'd hurt yourself. That would be completely counter-intuitive to the point of the exercises, you know?"

She finally jumped up into the air with just her arms launching off from the ground and landed cleanly on both feet. Maria was feeling a little bit more pumped and maybe ready to go as she began to lightly skip in place on the balls of her feet. "Well, either way, we all have somewhere to start off with. Once Susan's ready, we can move on to some stretches before moving immediately to push-ups. That said, I was wondering... How are you all balancing your life with Cadet work? I... uh, have some trouble managing the work load."

She tried to remain as nonchalant as possible about the question. But deep inside, she was a tad bit embarrassed to mention something like this. It made her look a bit irresponsible, really. And Maria hated that, but with all the work being handed off to her, there was a point when she needed some help soon...

Well... that confirmed that. Susan was the odd one out as per the norm. The younger girls were much more energetic and fit than she was. She could remember a time when she had open hours in her schedule to go swimming or biking but that was before she had a career and responsibilities that ate away at all her time. Maria quite obviously was the pinnacle of physical fitness and Cecilia had a routine as well. The businesswoman made no such plans, they would always be ruined by something. Even when she did attempt to set herself to waking up early with optimistic thoughts of going to the gym she swiftly caved and stayed home and used that time to prepare for her projects or make an actual breakfast once in a blue moon. She merely loathed the act of exercise, and although she accepted she could do anything she set her mind to she absolutely abhorred setting her mind to running her body ragged for no reason at all as there was little point. Or there used to be little point. Now she was expected to perform. It filled her heart with dread.

"That is... haaaaa... th-that is good...!" she panted, slowly regaining her stamina, "I don't... haaaaa... I don't m-mean to sound pessimistic but... *gulp*... I think it will be some time before I can handle that level of physical... physical activity..." Her breath was starting to return to her. Which was terrible. It would mean that they would be exercising again and she would endure yet more sweaty exertion. A little part of her prayed that she would have a heart attack and not be required to finish the exercise.
"I-I do not have such a routine, my... with my work it is often difficult to find time to dedicate for it..." she made excuses toward Cecilia. She likely could if she wished for it but applying to Class Zero was a second schedule on top of her busy first. She did not need a third. That and she was no good at jogging. Susan was short and a little round, anatomically she was not cut out for it.

She frowned at Maria's show-offish display of strength, it was a little intimidating. And they were waiting on her to catch up which was concerning by itself. She dreaded pushups, she had a tiny bit more to push up than everyone else would.
"N-no I am... I am ready to begin when everyone else is...!" she attempted a chirp. Her grimace told a different story. She was tempted to take her time to avoid going through with this but sooner or later she would need to follow through, it was better to get it out of the way instead of being a burden. She took a little initiative and began to perform some simple arm stretches she already knew, crossing one over the other to stretch her shoulders. Maria happened to say what she had been long thinking about however. She was aware that Maria had a heightened workload, the signs were obvious from what she'd observed. She was always chosen as a team leader, all the new people were being assigned to her, though Susan herself would not have brought up such a vulnerability to maintain an illusion of adequacy. The absurdity of her mentioning what she had already been thinking about made her chuckle.
"Mmmhmm most definitely. I am behind on a majority of my projects as is, I will likely need to ask to be moved from salary to freelance at this rate." Susan... did not know why that was funny. It was not funny, it was stressful. But perhaps it was that someone else was in her position that she found amusing, here all along she had been fretting and worrying that she could not continue the work load and everyone around her had been putting up the same facade. It was... similar to that age old comedic scene where a table full of people who hate spicy food all order the spiciest thing from the menu and suffer for the sake of it. But then again there was an inclusiveness in that and she was no longer the odd duck of their group. A-at least in this regard.

Her whimsical smirk faded back into her more businesslike demeanor, this was not something she should smile about.
"...b-but I will manage. That is life, the world never stops spinning when you need it to most. I find it helps to view time as a resource and purposefully dedicate it toward what you deem most important. It is a matter of priorities in a manner of speaking and not all can be accomplished, if that were possible I would have my Doctorate by now." Susan took a small pause, trying not to make this all about herself.
"...do you need assistance with any of your responsibilities, Maria? I can find time to help you take care of certain things." Between the two of them Susan was very certain she was more than capable of handling certain aspects that Maria herself took care of. She may be more physically imposing and assured of herself yet Susan was more than certain she could handle many more tasks than the younger girl could. It was her specialty after all, multi-tasking had become second-nature and she was often responsible for many different roles within her company. She had been in Maria's shoes for many years longer and had become accustomed to the stress and schedule, it would not bother her at all to add to her growing list of tasking and plans.