[centre][h2][color=7ea7d8]Lauren Jones[/color][/h2][/centre]

Lauren breathed a sigh of relief, she had escaped any serious hazing by the Demon Instructor and the 'impossible task' he had set her fell well within her existing remit as it was.  She daren't let her feeling show, however, in case the man was just waiting for such a thing and returned to rain hell's fury down on her.  Instead she continued her staring match with the stage although with the sun still blazing down on her from above, the stage was beginning to win.

[color=f7941d]"I want everyone to take a good goddamn look at this recruit in front of me!"[/color]  She wasn't sure whether that was a rhetorical order or not and cast her eyes sideways, to see the Instructor circling Mora like a rabid dog its prey.  Closing her eyes, she offered a silent prayer up to whatever beneficent deity was looking down at them that Mora wouldn't do anything to raise his hackles any further.  God only knows, he didn't need someone else to do it, he was quite good at sending himself into a spite filled spiral of apparent rage.

[color=teal]"To take back my town! To protect humanity!"[/color] her voice rang out with pure conviction. Lauren breathed a sigh of relief but, then, Mora's stubbornness kicked in and she could only listen in horror as her friend, the prey, baited the rabid dog. [color=teal]"And  to keep you from being eaten."[/color]

Soon, Lauren found herself standing at attention mere feet away from her friend, her closest friend after all that had happened in Shinganshina, being throttled to within an inch of her life.  And she could do nothing to stop it.  If she stepped in and protested then Ra's punishment would only be extended, with Lauren inflicting similar on herself with nothing to show for it.  So she stood, watching as Ra's lips turned blue and her struggles got weaker until finally the instructor threw her nearly limp body to the ground and then stared at the result of his efforts.

Apparently satisfied, he moved on.  As soon as he had passed Mora, Lauren dropped her salute and rushed forwards and knelt by the gasping girl.  Heaving her into a sitting position, she braced the girl with one hand on her shoulder and used her right to tilt her head up so that she could look into her eyes.  There was still clarity there, although a little befuddled from lack of oxygen, so at least there wouldn't be any lasting damage.  The Instructor clearly knew how far he could push them without ruining their potential as soldiers completely.

[color=7ea7d8]"Come on Ra, I'll help you up."[/color] She heaved one of Mora's arms over her own shoulders and then wrapped her arm around the smaller girl's waist to lift her up to her feet.  They were a little unsteady, Lauren too small and weak to really carry Mora by herself without carrying the girl on her back which would surely draw the ire of the Instructor who had already turned his gaze towards them.  He looked ready to march over and throttle Lauren but she calmed her nerves and threw his own instructions to her into his face.

[color=7ea7d8]"I'm performing my duty as a medic, sir, as you ordered, [i]sir![/i]"[/color] She kept the glee she felt at subverting his own hazing out of her voice, that would surely give him cause to do her damage, but this way Lauren hoped she was protecting the two of them without making anyone look a fool.  After helping Mora back to her place, within the allotted thirty seconds, Lauren nodded quickly to her friend before returning to her own place and resuming her staring match with the stage.

[color=7ea7d8][i]We'll talk later, Ra.  I can't have you going and getting yourself hurt for no reason.[/i][/color]