Paperwork. An enemy worse than any demon. (Susan)

It was safe to say Eryka hated paper work. It was tedious, wasteful of time and ultimately what did it achieve? Endmyion's acting government required willing volunteers to fight in the war against the demons so why waste time on paperwork?! Just accept Eryka volunteering, give her the test, let her fight demons and everyone can go home happy!

Sitting in the middle of the library Eryka's efforts at filling the paper work out had been stymied. Her prosthetic arm's internal gyroscope was on the fritz again which meant she was struggling, greatly, to write. God damn did it suck being right handed. Eryka's patience was frayed and as, again, her prosthetic hand's gyro screwed up she ended up snapping the pen in her grip clean in half.

"God damn it..." With her patience now truly exhausted, Eryka flipped a switch on her arm deactivating the motor and removed it undoing the screws that held it to her shoulder. One might have expected the remains of her arm to be hidden under the prosthetic and you'd be utterly right. She audibly slammed her stupid arm down on the table, deciding to leave it there lest she risk it ripping a page out of a book or something.

Speaking of books, Eryka reached into her backpack and pulled out a large book attempting to place it on the table...only to end up dropping it onto the floor. Eryka's expression twisted in barely contained irritation but with an exasperated exhalation, it passed. God damn did she hate studying for her demonology classes...she had only taken the subject on because she thought it would assist her when she became a Cadet! But all this studying, this reading and this theory frustrated her. Eryka was a woman of action! She didn't care for theory! She wanted practical demonstrations!

The library was a terrific place to be. Susan felt herself drawn to the atmosphere of solitude and if she could, she would spend a decent amount of her "on-hands" time within it. She was technically supposed to be at Class Zero and available for coordination and tasking but this was not an unacceptable place for her to stay. What had brought her here was general strategy and a means on which to obtain resources so that she could better learn. The businesswoman needed books and though she could purchase them herself the library was far superior in that regard. If she could not find a book they would search within their catalog and she could walk out with it in her possession at a base purchase fee. It was simply a more efficient way of doing things and she needn't even worry about her packages getting lost in transit or needing to allot time from her day to visit a bookstore, though she rather enjoyed those. The need for her to be here was to acquire reading material she could use to become a more experienced and well-rounded tactical officer, but the desire to stay was brought about from the calm and distilled nature of the library. It was far different from just an empty room and a book, it was a haven for study. There was security in that.

On today's docket were texts about how to be an effective leader, which was equally as important as being a proficient tactician. Strategy was useless if no one happened to follow it. So she slouched behind her desk loaded with books the likes of Extreme Ownership: How the Navy SEALS Fight and Win, Leaders Eat Last,  and even more mundane titles such as How to Make Friends & Influence People. Susan was not content with being a part of something greater and simply doing good: she wished to perfect it. She was not fulfilled with "fighting the good fight" or "upholding justice" or "standing as a stalwart protector for the people". She wished to succeed and prove her worth. And that took work, but first it took knowledge.

Yet Susan's peace of mind was continually shattered again and again by one noisy individual who did not respect the sanctity of the quiet. Every growl and violent thud was met with whincing. At first Susan avoided this individual, she did not want to add to the clamor or attempt to approach other people when she was in her "zone". But the disruptions continued and appeared that they would not cease, when she decided to intervene. Susan was not phased by her arm lying on the table nor did she take more than a cursory glance as she left her book fort she'd made. The businesswoman approached methodically, stooping over to pick up the book to set it gently onto the table. But not to be helpful despite what her actions implied. This was an orderly place and a book on the floor happened to be incredibly distracting, irritating, and upsetting to her mental processes. She needed a clean environment so that she could remain more effectively on auto-pilot inside her own brain.
"Please quiet down," she whispered to the disruptive young lady with a blank stare, "This is a library. You are making a racket, Others are trying to concentrate."

Eryka knew she was being a disturbance and boy did she hate herself for it upon realisation. It was out of no sense of self-hated or low self-opinion, such things were insignificant concepts held by the weak willed, that Eryka was angry at herself for being a disruption. Peace and stability was the reason why she chose to join the Cadets so for her to be that exact same thing? It was disgusting; sadly that only made her even angrier and more likely to disturb things!

Eryka reached down towards the book she had dropped but stopped, surprised to find someone else had picked it up. She looked up at the one responsible for picking up who did not seem happy in the slightest. "Yes. You are correct. I offer no excuses...but my apologies regardless." Eryka's voice was apathetic and detached, with a strong German accent, that was at odds with her frustrated scowl. It was at this moment a thought occurred to Eryka. Whoever this female was she clearly had both her organic limbs and she clearly had access to the academy's library which meant....

"Excuse me. By any chance are you a student here?" Eryka hoped that was the case. She may have held the majority of Endmyion's citizens in low regard but that didn't stop her from turning to them when the situation warranted it. Despite the young women's earlier series of enraged outbursts she was actually striving to be as cordial as possible. After all, Susan had been in the right and Eryka was indeed causing disturbances not to mention breaking tools of literature like the twigs they were.

Well... whoever this person was, at least they were reasonable and understanding of the circumstances. Susan had realistically expected some push back, as she should. Her approach was quite brusk and this individual displayed character tendencies of being confrontational. She could not help herself when someone was being noisy in the library, it felt like a breach of common courtesy akin to screaming loudly outside someone's home. The library was a private place where one could be guaranteed a safe, quiet haven within which to expand their perspective. It deserved respect, if not for itself then for others expecting the same. But no such confrontation took place, thankfully.

"Thank you for understanding," Susan spoke with her normal flat tones. She was not angry, at worst she had been slightly annoyed. It was a simple misunderstanding and lapse in proper behavior, nothing to get bent out of shape over once that was admitted. With her job done Susan began to step away to return to her books. She was here for one purpose and one purpose only and that was too learn and become educated on how to properly lead. If she would be expected to lead forces into battle she had best be prepared. Though... the most curious question came her way from the disruptive stranger, asking if she were a student. Susan faced her and blinked. With her age she appeared to resemble more of a teacher than a student for definite, though she realized that Seven Stars Academy was open to all who wished to further their understanding. Still, she was an adult during the Eternal Divide and held a Master's Degree. There was no reason for her to attend Seven Stars.

"...no, I am not," she answered simply, with a followup "...is there something I may help you with?" To be blunt, Susan was not feeling helpful. She spoke on reflex. If anything she only wished to return to her personal studies as she whiled away the time for the night to take place. But this could work as well, she would take the shortest route to being left alone to continue reading.

"Do not thank me." The very notion of being thanked for doing the right thing was one Eryka honestly found utterly disgusting. It bred weakness and generally made people compelled to do good only for the sake of getting praise or a reward which was entirely opposed to the very notion of a good deed. One should do good for the sole reason of doing the right thing or that was what Eryka believed. That did not mean it was wrong to get a reward for doing good things just one shouldn't do it solely for a reward.

"I am...ashamed to ask but yes, there is. As you've most likely noticed I have a prosthesis but sadly, the gyroscope has been damaged which has rendered it difficult for me to write correctly. I am not left handed..." There was a lump in Eryka's throat. Asking for any form of help was a notion she found utterly disgusting. It wasn't anyone else's fault that she was stuck with this temperamental prosthetic, in fact it was her own fault she was stuck with it, but that didn't change the fact Eryka was in the frustrating position of requiring assistance.

"Would you be willing to fill this Cadet application form out for me? I can answer all the questions I simply need somebody to physically write the requested information out due to the aforementioned issues with my prosthesis." It was entirely possible that Eryka could simply go home, re-adjust the poor synchronization of her limb's gyroscope and fill it out at a later date but that would result in Eryka's application taking longer. Was her desire to fill this form out in the most expedient matter really justified? The contorted expression the amputee's face had twisted into made it clear she genuinely felt a certain difficulty regarding her request.[/b][/b]

Susan blinked again. It... was more of polite acknowledgement than actual "thanks". Of course you should always act appropriately no matter where you happened to be, including the library. Though lapses in demeanor did happen. She was guilty of a few recently, though hiding behind her trauma was a poor excuse. It was still unacceptable behavior. Though because of this she would not judge too harshly. Bad days happen and people lose their nerve. Besides, it would be rude of her not to and sound remarkably standoffish. Susan was not one to run around making enemies by behaving poorly toward people... although at times this happened on accident...

The businesswoman did not notice any emotional tones or affects and if she did, she paid them no heed. Frankly it was none of her business and she did happen to notice right away that this younger woman was missing an arm but that would be impolite to point that out or ask. Susan would treat her as if she were anyone else.
"Yes, of course." The quiet woman moved to take a seat next to the young lady missing an arm. Susan was already familiar with the process of filling out the paperwork, she could do so easily. The short woman pulled out a chair as if she were going to take a seat, but absently walked away for half a minute to grab some of her things. If she were going to spend any length of time on this she did not want her purse lying about and she needed a pen. Something to read as she conducted this simple task would also be appreciated. She came back with a single book from her stack and a pen in her hand before sliding in a chair. Susan would wordlessly skim the form over to herself as she sat next to the younger woman.

"Let us begin. The first segments are the obvious: your name, specifications such as hair color which I may fill in myself them being obvious, and other personal information such as your address, date of birth, and home of record." The short woman skimmed the form for good measure, though she was familiar with it she did not memorize the form since last time. A small frown appeared on her face. She looked over to the woman she was helping.
"Oh, umm, I few of these questions are quite personal such as your Social Security number and medical history. If you're uncomfortable with sharing any of those with me please let me know and I will leave them for you to fill out later."

Eryka was surprised. She was fully expecting this smart dressed female to say no immediately but that wasn't the case. Susan willingly agreed to help pulling out a chair only to then walk away. At first Eryka was a little confused by that but then she returned, bringing with her a fair amount of stationary supplies. Okay that was fair enough. One couldn't fill a form out without a pen and it was probably a bad idea to leave ones belongings unattended for an extended period of time.

"Eryka Eckert. My address is....I live in the dorms." And so the conversation would carry on with Eryka relaying the information in an almost mechanical way. Eventually, the question of personal information such as medical statues and national insurance number would come up which may have been a risky prospect for others but not for Eryka. She genuinely had no real issue exchanging that information with Susan and so she leaned in, whispering her social security number into her scribe's ear.

"As for my medical history I am perfectly healthy...excluding my missing arm however that is at least partially mitigated by my prosthesis." There was no medical issues Eryka knew of in her family however, as her parents had died during the divide it was entirely possible that there may in fact be a hidden health condition she knew nothing about.

It was Susan's turn to be surprised. She honestly did not expect anyone to trust a stranger with this information, though she may be biased after being hacked earlier. Still, it was bad form to go around entrusting that information to others. Information was a source of power that could be incredibly harmful in the wrong hands and one's Social Security number could be used to open up bank accounts in your name. Your credit would never recover. Thankfully Susan was the one she told, someone who had more stringent morals and absolutely no desire or need for such things. But she could not help but note the carelessness. Perhaps she was just being paranoid. That was another issue of hers since a few days ago. Even today her bulletproof vest shifted under her clothing.

The short woman simply nodded and filled out the information to the best of her ability. The obvious came up and, being her official scribe, Susan had to do her due diligence.
"I see. This may need to be expounded upon, the incident resulting in the loss of your arm would need to be listed in at least the most basic of manners as well as the level of function you have. Full motor control versus a weak grip capable of holding a pen is important, as is a... more violent encounter against... experiencing an automotive accident, for example," she explained, "Again, if you are not comfortable speaking of this you do not need to do so. These are your own records, not mine, I do not have any inherent right to know."

Susan's eyes flicked sideways for a moment. She knew more than this younger woman did about the process, and without giving away the greatest secret she could inform her somewhat.
"...will you be alright with physical activity? Regarding your arm. I am aware that the Cadet initiation will necessitate it." More than she would know for sometime. Susan had nearly died in hers, although that was more to do with compatibility or poor choices than it was fighting her demon. Still, she had a right to be informed of what she was stepping into. Susan was not and she resented it somewhat.

Perhaps it had been a bad idea to trust this scribe with certain personal information such as one's social security number but Eryka genuinely did not understand the value of it. A lack of parents in her life meant she was missing out common sense in regards to certain things of day to day life; her social security number and the risk inherent to a stranger knowing it was one of those. Still despite that, Eryka did feel as if she could trust Susan.

"A building fell on my arm. The impact broke the bone and other debris caused numerous deep lacerations. By the time I found assistance necrosis and infection had set in forcing doctors to amputate. You do not have to worry about my arm's ability to function. Under normal circumstances it works just as well as my natural arm had. The reason for today's issue is due to a poor calibration on my part." Hopefully that would satisfy Susan's concerns regarding Eryka's arm. In truth it normally worked well, today she had simply poorly calibrated it as sadly it was quite sensitive.

"Physical activity is of no concern to me. I normally engage in rigorous physical activity during my free time." A small part of Eryka was curious as to where Susan's insight into this process came from. Had she gone through it before? Was she a Cadet? Did her job involve her in the Cadet process at some stage? If either of those were the case then Eryka would have a lot of questions for her all of which revolving around the Cadets obviously.

"You seem to possess some insight into the process of becoming a Cadet. Is that down to personal experience, a valid source of knowledge or are you simply making assumptions?" It may have been rude and lacking in tact to so boldly ask such a question but the amputee had never cared for tact. In her experience people tended to simply waste time trying to be tactful instead of just saying what they wanted to say and get on with it.

That was... likely a bit more than she had bargained for. Susan was stunned. Quite personally she would not have delved into such details but there were levels of comfort at play and she was not comfortable with sharing her own experience for her own reasons. B-but people were different, she could not help it was her own fault for placing this person, Eryka, into an awkward position. She had a habit of putting her foot in her mouth in regards to the Divide and being insensitive about it.
"*hrrrRRRM* I see. I am... s-sorry to hear that..." She cleared her throat nervously. The businesswoman was unsure of how to proceed with that line of dialogue. It wasn't her to give a there there or to show much sympathy at all, really. She allowed much of her interactions to exist on the surface and it worked well much of the time.

She took no offense to the question, it was a clear and important inquiry asking basic facts. Lord knew she did not fit the normal profile for a Cadet. She was mousy and quiet and a bit of a coward, not to mention she didn't possess the predisposition toward the physical as many Cadets did. Truth be told she was a bit on the pudgy side and likely one of the weaker Cadets in terms of fitness, but she could keep up and that was enough for the moment. Susan found studying and strategizing more important than physical training.
"Yes. I am one," she affirmed with a blank look. "Cadet Class Two Susan Groves. I will be your superior and likely team leader in certain operations, given you pass the trial you will undergo. I cannot speak much other than you can expect physical exertion." She really couldn't say, it was an implied secret on how the Cadets obtained their abilities and it did not suit the public to know of this. It was information that could be used against them and something that needed to be tightly under wraps.
"...nor should you if you pass for official reasons but you will discover that on your own."

She would not dwell on this detail for long however. There was work to be done.
"That is the majority of the form, the rest of the form is made up of signature blocks agreeing to certain things you will need to read over. I cannot in good faith sign them for you, that would be dishonest and open a can of worms no one wishes to have open. If you wish you can likely sign your initials with your off-hand to speed up the procedure, given that your signature is defined as an identifiable marking to be made by you yourself that can be used to signify who you are by your own hand. Legal jargon aside, if you sign it, you have signed it, and willingly and lawfully admit to the agreed upon terms. They punctuate the information I am filling out for you as truthful and volunteered."

Susan handed the form back, she had filled out as much as she could but the rest she could not for legal reasons she was well acquainted with. In her own opinion purgery was reprehensible and she would not engage in it, even if it made certain things easier. There were official channels for these things for a reason and that reason protected all parties involved. But... there was a moment here. Susan was reading books on leadership and this was a moment to be a mentor as much as she honestly felt like being locked away with her books at the moment.
"...do you have any other questions about the Cadets? I can answer what I am able."

"You're sorry? Why?" Eryka genuinely did not understand why Susan was sorry. She had nothing to do with Eryka's injury, nothing to do with the amputation, nothing to do with the Divide and well...nothing to do with anything. It was a confusing thing for Eryka to consider. Sympathy was a concept the amputee truly did struggle to understand as Susan was honestly not the first person to be "sorry" for Eryka's injury.

It was unlikely that Susan would have been able to divulge any truly detailed information hence why Eryka was not surprised she got such a vague answer. Especially when it only confirmed the amputee's pre-existing suspicions. Still, despite Susan's lack of a useful answer it was nice to know this woman was in fact a Cadet. Socialisation was by no means Eryka forte however, she fully understood the value inherent to co-operating with one's allies.

"That is understandable. I can handle that myself." That is once Eryka re-calibrated her arm which sadly she would have to do but on the other hand, Susan's suggestion about merely filling out the initials was also a good idea. Using her only remaining arm, Eryka grasped the offer form and carefully placed it upon the table. Now came the hard part: filling out the signatures. The amputee would clutch the pen with her left hand and hold her breath, using it to prevent her hand from shaking.

Carefully, slowly and methodically Eryka filled out the signature sections, entering her initial in lieu of her proper signature which amazingly came out looking perfectly legible. With the form filled out there was really only one thing left to do and that was hand it in...oh and thank Susan. Uninterested in sociable she may be but that didn't mean Eryka was going to be ungrateful. Reattaching her arm, the amputee would stand up form in hand and turn to face Susan.

"Your assistance is appreciated. I am looking forward to working with you." Under normal circumstances Susan would have found herself on the receiving end of a handshake but alas, with only one arm free such a thing was not practical right now. With a stoic nod Eryka gathered up her belongings and turned to leave, confidently walking out of the library. As grateful as was of Susan's effort and as much as Eryka had enjoyed, in a sense, the smartly dressed cadet's company...she no longer had a reason to take up anymore of Susan's time. That was the nicest gift Eryka could offer currently not that she wasn't going to try and thank her correctly in the future.

Though as curt as she could be the similarly blunt response received a raised eyebrow from the shorter woman.
"....because that is a terrible thing to have happened." A simple explanation for a simple question, though one that was telling. Definitely odd behavior, of course apologizing for someone's terrible situation was a social norm and not all adhered to those so strictly. She was guilty herself when she felt like not interacting with people and being alone with her thoughts but to question it was an oddity. A lack of understanding or a base refusal of certain social norms. She certainly hoped the latter. Susan could deal with rudeness as long as certain parameters were defined but the last time someone joined Class Zero who did not understand social norms as he had claimed he did not it caused serious repercussions. She still did not fully believe that. In any case this would warrant consideration.

Susan would say nothing but she would assist as was polite and place her hand on the forms to hold them still so that Eryka could write with a single hand and not have them shuffling about. She did not show any mote of impatience as she silently assisted the disabled woman, Susan was too busy with her own thoughts on how she would perform. Honestly she could see no issues in the field. She retained full mobility and it was often a hand had to be occupied with a weapon anyway, a sword or shield prosthesis would be just as effective as someone who could utilize both hands and no less effective if not by minimal degrees. She could only immediately think that it would have an impact on detaining a suspect but this could be worked around. The businesswoman would much rather debilitate a potentially dangerous enemy than to have them surrender and attempt something tricky anyway. In this case it would be a non-issue. But she would continue to consider, this may come up again.

To Susan's own disappointment... she did not ask any further questions about the Cadet process. Which gave her information but that was not what she desired in that moment, she had wanted inquiries and a chance to show her mentorship ability. To say this was a two-way street was a lie, she would be a mentor regardless as she should be with someone of her rank. So this was a personal failing, likely because she was too passive in her approach.
"L-Likewise. Please let me know if you need anything further." She had wanted to hand out her business card but the woman had already swiftly left while she was digging in her purse. Susan sighed. She had wanted to return to her books but this left a sour taste in her mouth. She felt she could have tried harder and could have been a true mentor to a prospect to Class Zero if only she were more competent at being a leader... but Susan was a better boss than a leader. This required study to correct.

Susan would leave the library with her previously selected books in hand as well as a new one. Tuesdays With Morrie. Honestly it would be engaging to read something that wasn't military literature, it was interesting enough but the dryness of it made her weary after a time. Hopefully with a little perspective she could learn to relate to someone with a disability and understand their thought processes, likely struggles... it was important that she do so if she were to grow into a position where she was anticipated to consider this.