Despite being in perfect health, Eli did not look well, nor had she since their last mission. Her posture, while straight, was low in the shoulders, and her head, the white hair stray and unkempt beneath her hood, was tilted down almost perpetually when she wasn't at attention. Her eyes showed most of the stress, though, glassy and sky-like only in the right light now, they seemed darker, more abyssal, and sunken. 

As she stepped up to approach her designated pod, there was a tug at her sleeve and she saw Vera hold out a thermos to her. Against Eli's directions --though not her wishes-- the girl had come along, holding fast to her secretarial duties. Eli's worry didn't stem from her duties though, but her position as a whole. Vera had been allowed in under...their previous captain's command, and while perhaps the girl had thus far skirted beneath the radar, Eli wasn't keen on making her presence blatantly known to the higher ups unless it was necessary. 

[color=6ecff6]"Thanks, Vi,"[/color] Eli said, softer tone slipping out despite the other company present, but only for a moment. She took a sip from the thermos, then handed it back and nodded towards the door. [color=6ecff6]"Go on, I'll come get you after work."[/color]

Perhaps it was because of Eli's state, or perhaps Vera understood the potentially precarious position she was in. Perhaps it was just too early, and the little girl hadn't yet woken up enough to put up a debate. Whatever the case, Vera nodded obediently, then scurried out of the training room, back towards the dorms.

Eli tugged her scarf down and pulled back her hood, then stepped up and into her pod to enter their simulation. For whatever subtle differences there were between simulated piloting and actual piloting, the enabling of pain receptors made all of them irrelevant, at least to her. She'd always prefer the feel of her limbs as one with the weight of Blur's, but the certain freedom simulations allowed was welcome. 

Before her eyes, Blur's various systems came online. Weapons, check. Mobility, check. Targeting, check. Reflex Sync was 95, her average, and the neural sync teetered between 99 and 100 for a few odd moments before clicking into check as well. Green across the board. 

[color=6ecff6]"Blur is clear."[/color] As the environment began to load in Blur pulled the hilt of the standard-issue beam sword. While the plasma blade housed in a sheath at her back was by far her favorite, she'd made a point not to draw it unless it was going to do work. She took note of Joe's absence, but was confident one less team member wouldn't jeopardize their simulation.