Tormented mind and heart. (open)

[Deleted]

Edmund had to admit, even though his ADHD had gotten him into a lot of trouble when he was younger, it was useful at the Legion. It wouldn't let him stay still, a sitting duck target. It also didn't let him think things through when moving. He stuck to his gut and moved impulsively along with all the knowledge and experience he had gained from his six years of training. It was almost like animal instincts. 75% of the time, they were right. 25% of the time, they were wrong. All he could do was try to improve himself every day in the fighting arenas, in training with his cohort. It was fair to say that they tried to push them to their limits and beyond. Then again, it was only expected. How he got plopped in the first cohort, he was still trying to figure out. It wasn't like anyone would give him a recommendation. What they saw in him, only gods knew.

So far, the only real danger confrontation he had ever been in was Mt. Orthy's. Sure, his cohort training could be considered "danger confrontations" but he knew that they would never really kill him. Beat him up within an inch or so of his life, yes. Outright kill him, probably not. Or at least, that was what he hoped. Sure, he gave them little reason to support an argument on why he deserved to live, but he kinda wasn't looking forward to dying. Since learning the life span of a demigod wasn't that long, his goal was to live to at least twenty. He almost got short stopped six years when the battle two years ago came along. It was during that battle that he could finally prove to himself that he was a Roman, a fighter. That Lupa didn't make a mistake in choosing to admit him into camp.

The dark haired boy inhaled sharply as his shoulder started to sting slightly. Ah well, next time he'd plan and time it better. At least she didn't fully hit the shoulder. It was little more than a scratch. He had gotten and seen way worse on himself (take his legs for the first month after the fire). Seeing the blood didn't bother him in the least. Horrible to say, but after all this training for six years, he had almost become desensitized to battle wounds. He had seen some of his cohort members get bashed, cut, and bruised from training (he was still one of them sometimes). Sure, some still made him cringe or flinch only in the slightest, but he could withstand the sight of blood.

At least the old school trick worked. Never under estimate forward momentum and basic grammar school taught tricks. It was all fun and games (not really. Better praised: it was all taken semi lightly, in a I'll-choose-to-ignore-verbal-jibes-and-won't-get-physical)... until someone crashed him into the wall because of purposeful tripping. She managed to twist and turn onto her back, looking up at him. Ed half grimaced, taking the hilt of his sword in both his hands, and ignoring the protest from his shoulder; he drew the hilt back towards his ear and pointed the tip of the sword a few feet from Vivian's chest. "Pinned ya," he said with a slight smirk. All of the sudden, he felt like Nala from The Lion King. Shaking the thought out of his head, Ed stayed there, waiting to see if she'd strike back or not.

OOC: LOL Lion King reference... xD
IC: 605

[Deleted]

Vivian flew over Ed's head and felt the air blowing through her hair and skin. The world around her just turned upside down as she was flying, Her eyes were wide as plates, but they weren't looking at Ed nor the spinning world around her, her eyes were lost in a weird and creepy moment in her life, more than creepy it was scary.

Hundreds of dead corpses around her, all of them were wearing allies armors, all of them were soaked in their own blood.

"Maya... Aria..."

Said Vivian in her weird and absorving memory. Maya and Aria had been her best friends when she was a legionary. Maya was daughter of Vulcan and Aria was daughter of Mercury. They were the closest thing Vivian ever had to sisters. Even when they used to be in the second and fourth cohort respectively and she used to be in the fifth one. But the battle at Mt.Othrys also took them away from her.

"MAYA!!! ARIA!!!"

She yelled in her mind and ran to where they were, she knelt by her bodies and shook them a couple of times. She wasn't crying like her heart wanted, she looked up and saw the one who killed them and showed her hate through her eyes. She held her sword so tightly that the skin on her fists got white. She got up and attacked that evil demon!

Her back hit the ground and Ed could have heard how some air in her lungs got off her body due the impact on her back. A single tear rolled from the corner of her right eye to her right temple. But the tear wasn't product of the hit on her back or the humilliation of being tricked in such way by a 16 year old boy. It was due her memory and the loss of her friends in battle. would this kid ever know what was to lose such important people? Deeply in her heart, she hoped he would never know about it and that if he had already known, he would have the strength to keep going.

"Pinned ya,"

Edmund's voice took her out of her trance and focused the kid sitting on her, aiming his sword to her chest once more. She was still holding her sword on her right hand, so she smirked at Edmund looking between his eyes and his sword. "Why did you stop?" she asked still with a cold voice, not the warm one with which she talked to him at the beginning of their training. She lifted her right hand with her sword as her hand was moving her sword to hold it in a backwards position. Then she hit his blade with hers and used that to push Ed a bit to the back, so she could move and push him off her. She only hoped he wasn't skilled on that yet so he would fall on his back and allow her to get up. "what am I doing here?!" She thought thinking the training on that day wasn't the best idea she could had.

[Deleted]

Edmund was actually sort of stunned that Vivian fell for a simple grammar school trick, but hey who knew. Charlie probably wouldn't fall for it at any rate, so no use in trying to trip her up. Maybe the time in New Rome had slightly softened their training and fighting habits? He didn't know. Ed watched her warily. She looked a little dazed; it was probably from hitting the spot in your back that made you become winded. Being winded wouldn't kill someone, so he just waited there with his sword pointed at her chest. True, she still had her sword in her hand and her being dazed was certainly to his advantage, but he still didn't strike. He'd allow her to at least get her senses together.

That's when the game slightly changed. Another tear rolled down Vivian's face. Okay. What was it with Edmund making people cry these days?! It had been like... two people in the past week! He kind of doubted that it was because she had been tripped up by a sixteen year old. Romans were tough, a slight training humiliation was usually brushed off as nothing. It usually made them fight even harder. Was he going overboard with being a hard hearted, emotionless, jerk face? ....or... his mind shot to the worse possible option in his book: he triggered someone. Again. He started feeling slightly sick. If that was the case... Shoot me, Edmund moaned internally, his stomach sinking. Getting triggered was one of the worse things in the world (along with needles, doctors, hospitals, and fires, but STILL.) What WAS his problem?! Okay, no, wait. Don't answer that! ...too late probably.

He was pretty sure he was going to regret what he did next, but that was half the cases in his life when interacting with people. Ed lowered his sword slightly, away from Vivian's chest. Ow, Ow... SHUT UP ARM. Yes, he was Mr. Cold Hearted I Hate People, but still just wouldn't brush off a girl crying without at least a touch of civility. "You alright?" he asked once again, his voice slightly loosing its emotionless edge. Of course, like last time, she was obviously not alright, but hey that was Ed. Her choice to talk or not. A few moments later, Vivian seemed to recover and ended up kind of brushing it off. That was one question Edmund wasn't going to answer. Her voice was pretty much matched to his every day usage voice. Her sword went up and Edmund immediately reacted. And here was where he was going to regret trying to be a bit human every now and again. Her push forced him backwards a few inches and he half stumbled into a sideways stance.

IC: 469

[Deleted]

Getting her mind back to the training combat hadn't been easy at all, in fact half of it was still back in the battle, there where her friends had died, there where she had lost almost everyone she had cared about. She needed to focus, but how could she do it? How when she was remembering them at every single move she did, at every swing of her sword and every attack she got from Edmund. She saw him and she saw a potential casualty in a battle, he was a very good fighter, but there had also been amazing fighter in Mt.Othrys, yet they ended up dead and now they were all roaming Tartarus.

"You alright?"

He's voice tone wasn't flat as before, he seemed to feel some kind of concern about her, she frowned at him and used her flat toned voice. He had shown some human emotion and yet she acted as if her heart had just stripped away and inside she just had a maching working to keep her body moving. Her movement had made him move backwards enough for her to bend her leg and use her right foot to push him away from her, enough space so she could get up again. Thank the gods, she was thin, she pushed Ed backwards and then when he was off her body she bent both legs and pushed them backwards over her body and head.

She spinned backwards and then when her knees were on the ground again she put the tip of her feet on the ground and pushing her body back and up she got up in a very gymnastic way. She moved her right foot a step back to gain balance again and then looked at Ed. She also checked if she still had her sword on her hand, which she did. SHe looked back at Ed once more and breathed deeply a couple of times. the wind blew slightly and she felt the wet sensation of the tear on her temple. she used her left hand to wipe it off. Now she understood why he had asked her if she was ok or not. "Another useless tear!! come on Vivian!! get back your mind to the fight or a kid will win, what would your mother say about that?!" she thought and smirked at Ed.

"Was this distractig?" she asked in the same flat tone, showing him her hand where it was still wet due the wiped tear. She changed her tone again, it was soft and tender. "you can't let things like this distract you, Ed... in a real battle, your enemy will use anything, any kind of dirty trick to kill you." she said and sighed. would she answer to his question? would it be ok if she tell him why she cried once more? "it is good you still have that wamrth inside you, but hide it in a fight" she smiled in a warm way. "as for your question, I saw got distracted, your blood reminded me of the blood of my lost friends, so thank you for your concer, I'm fine now" she smirked again and invited him to attack again with her hand. "come on, I'll try not to get distracted again." she winked at him.

[Deleted]

Edmund had to say, she was pretty good at gymnastics. Him? Pretty much no flexible bone in his body. His parents had tried getting him into acrobatics as a way to channel his ADHD, but he didn't do that well with it. All he really enjoyed was the trampoline, and that had just been jumping really high. No fancy tricks. Unfortunately though, there were no trampolines at Legion. Maybe there was a small spring board in the Obstacle Course, but other than that, nada. She pushed him off and he was forced backwards a few paces. With the little space she had, she was able to get up with ease. Exactly one of his problems. He lifted his sword again and took another defensive stance incase she wanted to be the one to make the first move again.

Yeah, he pretty much ended up regretting every single time he tried to show that he was in the least bit human. It always backfired on him but whatever. Their choice. He'd be him, and there was nothing they could do to stop that. His semi concern was met with a tone that he'd use on any given day. He just brushed it off, not in the least discombobulated. He knew full well what he usually sounded like. Em had recorded him once in the hospital before he stopped talking. Good. He didn't have to get involved or distracted again. He slightly raised his eyebrows as she just stood there trying to get her breath. She almost looked surprised at the tear on her face, but Edmund just stood there, keeping his defensive stance. His flash moment of caring was over. If she pushed it away like it was nothing, it was nothing to him.

If one other person went bipolar on him this week, he was going to flip out. At least he was semi constant. Other people? No. They went from flat, to soft, to happy, to down right murderous. He was dealing with a load of PMSing children... and he was probably one of them when it came to attitude. Not the mood changes. "Dutifully noted," he said sarcastically. No need to tell him that. Maybe he did need to work more on total emotional shut down. She wasn't a real life enemy though: he knew there was a 95% chance that she wasn't going to kill him. Yes, he knew to go on emotional lock down in a fight, but he couldn't exactly help it if it was a) a camper and then b) if, on top of that, he triggered them. That was kind of a sore subject for him. Emotionless, antisocial jerk reputation or not. Forget reputation. Screw what other people thought. He'd be him and there was no one that was going to stop him.

At her explanation Ed slightly raised his eyebrows. "So perhaps you shouldn't allow your memories to overtake you. There'll be plenty of blood in a fight," he said, back to toneless, and still keeping his defensive stance. His turn to attack again, right. "Sure," he grumbled, ignoring the slight trickle of blood that was still going down his arm. He'd patch himself up later. It wasn't like they stopped first cohort fighting for a bandaid. He changed his stance and advanced. Edmund turned his blade and went for a swipe at her legs.

IC: 574

[Deleted]

Vivian smiled again when Edmund told her he had mentally noted what she had told him, She smiled at him, she was glad that at least that training would help him, but she was sure that it was helping her more than it was helping him. He seemed to be so self-confident about everything he was doing that day. His stance, his attacks and even his defensive movements. She was the one who seemed to be the rookie there, not him, she was the one who was getting caught in the past and getting all distracted, not him! And not being happy with that, the teen had to remind her about that!!

She nodded at Edmund and smiled. "I know... I know..." she said and then breathed deeply to get back the control of her emotions and mind. "Now you know why I didn't join on another 10 years of service" she winked at him and then waited for him to attack her. when he did it, it was a clean move, fast and direct. she was calm and relaxed, her mind was again in that combat, so she could see the moment Edmund contracted the muscles in legs and arms, also how he looked at her in such confident way, a real soldier, a real legionary.

One Mississippi... Edmund turned his sword, two Mississippi... Edmund went to swipe Vivian's legs. Vivian looked at that in slowmotion, but only for those slight two seconds, after that short ammount of time, vivian's brain had to work faster, which her DADH helped her with. She thank the gods that a member of the Motorcycle group of her father was an former marin and other a former member of an acrobatic team. in their free time that had taught Vivian a lot of good moves that had helped her all along her life as a roman soldier.

Three Mississippi, she shifted her sword from her right hand to her left one in a turned way, four Mississippi, she bent her knees and as she squated, she thrusted her sword on the grown by the moment Ed's sword was about to hit her legs so his sword clashed against her sword. It had been a very wise or foolish action, because now Ed's sword was still dead and in movement, while hers was in the ground, sleeping and waiting a moment to come back to life. If Ed knew how to move well, he would be able to slash at least one of her legs before she could move her sword again.

[Deleted]

Okay, so maybe Ed was a cold jerk and emotionless and whatever camp decided to peg him as these days, but he would still take advice from seasoned, experienced soldiers. Ed wasn't high and mighty even though he was in the first cohort (which, yeah, he still had no idea why he was there); on the contrary, he knew, full well, that there was still a lot he needed to learn. Learning how to control and suppress emotions, he didn't exactly need to work on. Ed had learned how to control his face, emotions (rather, learned how to keep it blank) a long time ago. Sure, sometimes he showed some emotion... okay, fine. He had to work on flat lining emotion too.

Edmund gave a slight nod. So what if being a solider wasn't her greatest strength? She probably had others. He honestly had no idea what he'd do with himself after his ten years were up. Sign up for another ten years of torture under Charlie? Not likely. Even though he did love fighting, he didn't think he liked it enough to be one of the only over twenty soldiers amongst teenagers. Besides, most of the people retired and went to New Rome after ten years. Then again, it was rare that Edmund followed the crowd. As of now, Ed was actually not even sure if he'd make it to age twenty. He probably wouldn't. He was on nearly all of the gods' bad side and was doing nothing to help him get on their good ones. If the gods had a good side, that was.

Before Camp, the only fight training Edmund had ever done was fist fight with other boys at school. Fist fights that he'd usually use and end up with him pinned against a wall and/or bloody. Of course, there were those few and far between fights he did win, but those were rare. Very, very rare. Then he came here and he actually got decent with a blade. Mostly because of the first cohort's harsh and demanding training schedule. Ed also used it as an outlet; he began to even like it. At first, all the fighting had been intimidating and rather scary. Everyone had seemed so great, powerful, and experienced. Then there was young, inexperienced, emotionless, antisocial, awkward, mute, ten year old Ed. As Edmund went to swing at Vivian's legs, she slashed her sword down, blocking his. Before she could lift her sword up to fully deflect his, he made a quick flat sided, thrusting movement to try to get a deaf hit at her thigh.

IC: 445

[Deleted]

Years in the legion were more than enough to get anyone well trained, well if you were worth to it, if not you would simply fall and die, that had happened before and for sure would happen again. How many times she had seen that before in her life, well more than she would actually wanted. but she knew training was the most important thing in their lives, was what kept all of them alive and prepared them to the risks and dangers of the world outside those walls.

In the past she remembered the days she spent with her Cohort, she used to be in the fifth one, not one of the most popular ones still she loved it, she loved it so much and worked so hard that she even was Centurion of her cohort for the last two years of it. She made them work hard, but she never acted as an irresponsible person, she knew when to push and when to unleash them all.

Still she loved it so much, she didn't got back for another ten years, it was weird, but she didn't want that life of war 24/7, she just wanted to have some peace... yet, after a year of being out, she had realized no one in the legion, no roman was ever out of it, until they died. Maybe that was why New Rome had that place to practice all day long if the civilians wanted to keep in shape.

When she stopped Ed's sword, he moved fast and did a flat sided, she frowned at it and used her sword which was into the ground to push herself away from Ed's hit, but he was fast! which was perfect in a real combat and in training too! his hit scratched Vivian's leg, didn't damage it too much, but it was a deaf hit, if hurt like fire, but she was ok with it, she was used to it. "Is your Centurion a Mars' kid?" she asked and smiled a bit more.

Her past move wasn't one she had invented, in fact Michael taught it to her. He wanted her to be as ready as it was possible for any kind of attack, so in their personal trainings he taught her all what he was taught in the First cohort, all what a mars' kid should know. She smiled at Edmund and then helped herself still holding the handle of her sword and pulled herself closer again, this time she lifted her other leg to kick Ed's stomach, if it hit him, it would be a deaf one and would not only hurt but also let him out of breath.

[Deleted]

There was no doubt about it that people had to have something in them to be able to stay here. Okay. Forget stay here. People had to have something in them to even get admitted in. Heck, the ten year old had to survive a "Lupa Inspection" when they were first taken here. They had to pass a wolf's test. A freaking WOLF. If that wasn't a tell tale sign that this Camp had high if not odd and demanding expectations, he didn't know what did. With that "something in them" in mind, Edmund was honestly always wondering how Lupa had deemed him worthy to step foot in here. Put quite unabashedly, he was an antisocial jerk. Not exactly the most wanted member wanted on a cohort. Then again, he had to hand it to the legion. Even though their methods were questionable at times (okay, he shouldn't even be talking; his methods were questionable half the time) they got their soldiers trained well. It was hard expect anything less, after being here for years, 24/7. After time at the legion, it was kind of hard to imagine anything different. Hard to imagine that here was indeed peace... somewhere. The Roman ways, after ten years, would probably be ingrained in them for life. This was a way of life, after all. Not exactly the most preferred preteen and teen life, but that was the grief they got for being demigods spawn of Roman gods.

His fast tactic on Vivian worked. Now they were scratch even. One on his shoulder, one on her leg. Pretty balanced out. Fine, there was a bit of blood on both of their parts, but they were Romans. They were used to pain and pain toleration. It wasn't like centurions to stop a training session just because of a scratch. At her question, Edmund gave his head a nod. "Yes," he affirmed. Charlotte (better known as Charlie) Jolly to be exact. It was one of the most ironic last names he had ever heard. Edmund watched her draw closer in range to him again. On principle, both inside the arena and out, if he could avoid closeness to another person, he aimed for it. Needless to say, he shifted his weight back. That's when the fight turned away from sword and switched to (more or less) hand to hand. Gods, back to grammar school. Edmund automatically dropped to the side, but again, his timing was slightly off. The kick intended for his stomach connected with his already injured shoulder instead. Ed inhaled sharply and was forced to fall slightly backwards with the force of the kick. At the same time though, he tried to regain his balance to be able to sweep her legs out from underneath her. He didn't even know if it would work since from what he saw of her, she was pretty good at gymnastics. He was pretty sure that included being able to gain one's balance quickly.

OOC: Two... really really big paragraphs o.o
Gah D: Sorry for the wait!
IC: 505

[Deleted]

Edmund's way of fighting was something Vivian knew, and noticing that Michael's fighting style was still alive made her smile once more, she found it amazing! the first cohort kept his way of combat and they were teahing it to the next generation. Vivian was glad to know that at least the first cohort would keep those techniques! "I'm glad the first cohort kept those movements on their trainings" She said by the time her foot clashed against his shoulder, she noticed how his clothes there stained even more of deep red, but this time she didn't felt bad, she didn't cried at the sight of the blood, she smiled a bit more, she was remembering what was to train, what was to feel the gold of the sword of your adversary. Kind of wird, but it was something that just clicked in her roman mind.

"I used to be Fifth cohort's Centurion... but in my free time I trained with the centurion of the First cohort..." she smiled telling him as he fell backwards. He moved fast again, her hurt hurt and her blood was already staining her jeans of blood, but she didn't care, she could wash them and if not, well she would buy new ones, for a Roman the moment of the fight was more important that simple clothes. Some of the people that had been training stopped to look at them, It seemed that it was interesting to see a camper training with a civilian. At first Vivian didn't notice them standing at a good distance from where they were training, but by that moment there were like twn civilians there looking at Ed and Vivian.

Ed's movement was good and even wise considering that Vivian's leg was wounded, but only a leg was wounded. He wiped her hurt leg, almost made her fall, but she rolled on her good leg and then got up with a slight jump. She looked at Ed and smirked. "good!... I must tell that your Centurion is a very good trainer" then she swang her sword to get some of the dust off the blade. she looked at her leg and then at his shoulder. "blood for blood... what do you say? a final attack to impress our audience?" she said pointing at the civilians but rolled her eyes as if she found it a loss of time from them to be just watching at their combat. "I'd like to talk to you without... making us bleed" she did want to talk, but maybe he wanted to train a bit more. "or we could continue this till you must go to camp."

[Deleted]

Most of Edmund's fighting style had come from Charlie Mack-Jolly. The head of his cohort. Daughter of Mars and one of his biggest annoyances ever. Aside from there, he had semi kind of gotten his own fight style from solo training. There were also just fighting techniques from fighting skills 101 and his grammar school. It wasn't like he taught himself some big, grand, sort of martial art skill or anything, he taught himself how to survive in school hallways. Mostly ducking, punching, and twisting. Instead of going full out offense, Edmund had learned to become smaller and go on the defense, mostly because he didn't need to cause any more trouble for the teachers than he already did. So many times he had tried to be on his best behavior so that his parents wouldn't have to keep moving him, but it never worked. When forced to bring crutches to summer school, he used those too; that was also when he started getting more aggressive and offensive. He guessed his crutch fighting in a sense sort of mirrored some tactics in sword fighting and helped build up some of the arm muscle. Blessings in disguise? Ha. No.

He gave a slight nod as Vivian said that she was glad the fist cohort kept it in the training. She had probably seen all the different fighting styles throughout her years here: based both on cohort and its centurions. Ah... a past centurion. Past person in power. Ugh. Edmund never really got the cohort thing. They said the first cohort was one of prestige. That one needed references. He had no idea on earth how he got into the first cohort. He honestly, honestly didn't. Who saw anything in him besides an angry, antisocial jerk? The next part of her sentence also made sense in why she'd know first cohort moves. Training with someone from the cohort. Edmund watched her movement carefully, barely realizing that they had attracted an audience. He felt the blood starting to seep through the sleeve of his shoulder, but barely registered it as pain. They were Romans. He could deal with a cut. He had dealt with worse. Besides, he knew how to heal himself. He had taught himself how to just for individual necessity. No stupid, triggering infirmary necessary.

His moved seemed to have rocked her, but as he had thought, she regained her balance and was back to standing easily. Once again, they stood facing eachother: Edmund took a soft defensive stance, waiting to see if Vivian would come to attack him again. He merely blinked as Viv complemented Jolly and Petty. They were annoying as Hades above and below, but he couldn't deny that they were fine warriors. How else could they rise up to the position of co centurions? Ed raised his sword slightly at Vivian swung hers, but then soon realized that it was just to get the dust off of it. At her comment, he glanced at her leg and then at his own shoulder. They had both drawn blood. Successful fight. Audience? Edmund finally moved his head to the side, onlookers filling his vision. They really attracted that many spectators? Sheesh. And the camp knew full well how Edmund liked people. "Sure," he agreed with a slight shrug. "If you want, fine," he said, still in his usual monotone. Thing was, he wasn't the best at talking with people... For small talk and social skills, he got a grade of negative one hundred. Ask anyone at the Legion and they'd give that answer or something akin to it.

OOC: Omgods... sorry for the wait D:
IC: 609