Collision Course ((Elijah))

Sienna wasn’t the type of person who’d fly into a rage over nothing. It took some effort to make the girl angry, although that amount of effort differed from topic to topic. But she tended to display aggressive behavior once she was wound up or nervous, and now was one of those unfortunate times. Sienna wasn’t the most Roman girl around, she wasn’t a magnificent fighter nor did she possess a genius mind. And she knew it. The girl preferred her dancing, and individual training with her best friend. Sienna hadn’t wanted to be in First or Second Cohort; that was simply too much pressure for a girl like her. But cohort sorting was important to her for the simple reason it wasn’t just about her this time. The girl’s best friend was that type of Roman, and Calla was far more likely to get into one of the higher cohorts than Sienna. The two girls were close in the fact that being in the same cohort, while it wasn’t necessary, was appreciated. It certainly gave them more time to spend together. And, well, Calla just wasn’t going to be in Fourth Cohort, was she? That made Sienna a failure, in holding up her part of getting into the best cohort possible. Sienna knew she couldn’t change cohorts now; the Praetor’s decision was final. So she was stuck in the Fourth Cohort, be that a good thing or bad.

It wasn’t like it was a bad cohort; the camp had long since moved past those types of stereotypes. But had they really? Sienna could just feel how people would judge her, being in the lowest cohort. While it meant it was easier to exceed certain expectations (because she just knew people had low expectations for her), how many people would blow her off for the simple reason of not being part of ‘the best cohort’? And that was something Sienna was willing to bring up with one of the Praetors. The girl wouldn’t normally approach authority about something like this, but she wanted, needed an explanation. Perhaps she could fit a few of her own in as well. And while she had decided to adjust either way, Sienna wasn’t going to take this lying down. Gods know she’s stubborn that way. And while that could result with one of the highest positions in camp hating her, Sienna was willing to take that risk.

In the past, Sienna had found people didn’t expect much of her. She didn’t look like a Roman, she didn’t particularly act like one, and the only time she even remotely did was during training. The girl knew more Latin than some, but that didn’t decide cohorts. No, skill did. And people always downgraded her, never decided she could be the best at anything. At least, anything worth doing. And that angered her. That was what ran through her mind as she settled into the barracks for the Fourth, with her one small backpack of stuff she’d brought from San Francisco. Looking around, Sienna decided she was going to spend minimum time here. And as her eyes jumped from bunk to bunk, her temper began to rise. Mumbling to herself in Latin, Sienna recalled the first time she’d been sorted. Fourth, as well. So, judging by conclusions, the girl was as weak as when she’d first come to Camp Jupiter. And that was what truly annoyed her.

So the girl found herself storming (with unfortunately uncontrolled anger) up to the Principia. While she wasn’t sure whether either of the Praetors would be there or not, Sienna didn’t care. Opening up one of the doors, Sienna stormed in, her face set in anger. Some small part of her mind, thankfully of the reasoning variety, warned her to be respectful, or face the consequences. Eyes sweeping the room, they finally settled on a figure standing on the other side of the room. Stopping in her tracks, Sienna straightened her posture, and put her hands at her side. She felt her hands clench into fists. One hand gathered a fistful of her shirt, and the other rested on the golden dagger sheathed at her waist, the one she carried everywhere. “Praetor Emmanual,” the girl spoke in a hard voice, eyes trained on the now recognizable Praetor. The Roman girl stopped there, she didn’t know whether he would let her speak or not. Praetors changed that way, she knew. So Sienna stuck to old Roman tradition, and be as formal as need be. Sienna wouldn’t want to be kicked out before she even began talking. “Permission to speak?” the girl inquired. Staying at her position of attention, Sienna forced herself to release the hand on her dagger. Eyes shifting from the boy in front of her, they landed on a piece of wall across the room. Sienna kept her gaze there, and her jaw clenched. The girl was not happy, but she was willing to be respectful. As long as it didn’t involve her needing to be nice. Sienna left the sympathy to Calla, she handled the seriousness.

((Hey, look at that, I’m being proactive today))

Everything was strange these days. Everything was strange and nothing was easy. If someone was to ask Elijah what his top priority was, it would change from day to day, sometimes moment to moment. Five days ago, Elijah initially would have said his top priority was to forget it was his birthday and go through some paperwork. Ten minutes later, it would have been to figure out where he could find a sleeping bag for the eight year old mute Legacy who had showed up at his door to sleep in. A couple of hours in it would have been to make Jack Wheelan listen to him. Directly after that it would be to remember how to breathe properly after being swept away in a kiss from said Jack Wheelan. After that, everything got a little fuzzy. April eleventh was a little too odd. In a good way. Priorities had been changing nonstop since then...paperwork, making sure Tac wasn't getting into trouble, more paperwork, making sure Calix was alive, paperwork, spending some time with his boyfriend, fit in a little paperwork. At this point, Elijah was grateful he was a child of Discordia. There was no way other than embracing his chaos that he could manage his life properly. Things were different. Life was still scary at times...sitting in his room alone was the worst. That was when the thoughts started to ruminate. Lúth...when would his sister be back (Elijah knew she would be...he could feel). Calix...his fellow Praetor and closest male friend...an empty shell. Torn between River and Jack...a best friend who hated his boyfriend and a boyfriend who quite frightened, but trying. A boyfriend...a relationship...the boy had no idea what he was doing! So many thoughts bouncing around...it was oftentimes a relief when Tac silently entered his room and curled up in his sleeping bag. Lights on or not, the child was usually out quick enough. It was nice, really...having that strange sort of innocence around was kind of humbling. It had only been five days and Elijah was already quite attached to the kid.

Needless to say, the silence of the main room of the Principia that had once crushed Elijah was now welcome a lot of the time. There was something oddly comforting about being in a larger enclosed space. A pile of paperwork on the table, the boy stood, sighing softly. Today was one of those days where the silence was not welcome. The comfort was nice, but Elijah didn't want to be alone right now. Of course, the day had started off nicely, the boy loved his morning runs and self training sessions. Nice shower to relax...that was about when things started going downhill. A quick check on Calix had found the Legacy of Bellona sleeping. Again (still?). Elijah knew depression could do that sort of thing, but he didn't even know if Calix had woken up since Lúth had been...deep breath, and a lot of things the boy didn't want to think about. Every time the son of Discordia opened his friend's door, he felt quite depressed himself. Calix...a strong warrior and a strong person, reduced to a shell. If that was what love did to someone, maybe he didn't want any part of it. Who even knew, though, right? After all..."Chaos et amor non coaptationem ad invicem. Non quidem ferre liceat, tantum mihi?" the boy sighed softly. Chaos and love. The illogical couple. At least Lúth and Calix together actually made some sense.

It hit. Wandering around the room, Elijah felt his mind slip into overdrive. A step and a moment to stay still, to find himself in silence. The boy didn't even notice the doors opening. He didn't notice anything until he heard someone calling his name. Turning around, Elijah noticed the girl standing there. Face set in hard lines, looking determined. Right now, the boy wasn't in the mood to deal with any of this. Especially because he had a bit of a feeling he knew what this was about. The girl's file...forget her name (literally, he had completely forgotten it), background information (a little picture clipped on there, which was how he recognized the girl), and a quite unnecessary 'personal statement'. Honestly, Elijah usually discarded that type of thing in a heartbeat, but sometimes, it was better than banging his head against the wall. It was that 'personal statement' that set the boy over the edge a day or two before. To be completely honest, he didn't remember most of the 'personal statement', except that he felt the girl could do with a nice pin to pop her balloon head. Maybe Elijah was overreacting, but it just rubbed him the wrong way. It was nice that some more people had made it over from the old Camp Jupiter, after all. Concentrate on the positive, all that. "Yeah," Elijah rolled his eyes. "Speaking," the boy was done with the whole 'setting a welcoming first impression' thing. It was going to be a long day, Elijah could feel it already.

"Permission to..." the boy raised his eyebrow at the girl. He knew some more traditional Praetors would require that sort of thing, but Elijah was atypical at best, and didn't really bother with the whole 'permission to speak' thing. With a wave of his hand, the boy shrugged. "Seriously...the whole permission to speak thing doesn't matter to me. I'm someone, you're someone, sure, I'm a tad higher up that you, but believe in equal footing..." walking closer to the girl, the boy studied her face for a moment. "And here's a helpful hint...don't look that angry around me...seriously. I'm the last guy you want to be angry with..." walking close enough that the two were face to face, Elijah sighed softly. "Have you ever met a child of Discordia? We have this thing...basically the most useless 'power' ever. Things get bad and we start to radiate. Can you imagine being hit with a wave of pure chaos?" now he was just being mean. After all, the girl was probably just frustrated about landing back in the Fourth Cohort. "On the bright side, I can also manipulate your anger and fill it with a chaotic rage that will probably leave you extraordinarily confused and trying to figure out what to do with someone else or yourself. Chaos doesn't make any sense...you know? I guess what I'm trying to say here is calm down, first of all. Otherwise, I'm just going to start feeding off of you. Which won't be fun for either of us. I have a feeling you want to discuss your Cohort placement. I will listen, and I will talk about it with you, but if you decide to push me, I have much bigger things to worry about than your Cohort and I will make your life miserable. On that note, welcome to Camp Jupiter 2.0. I'm Praetor Elijah Emmanual, son of Discordia Ferocimus, and when you have an issue, you don't have a choice but to come to me. Our other Praetor is out of commission at this point. Sit, relax, and we'll chat, okay?"

((I am just...so sorry for making you read this >.<))

Having made her entrance, Sienna stood still and reminded herself to keep breathing. The girl had never been comfortable, speaking to people with more power than her. It didn’t necessarily matter who they were, or how they acted; Sienna tended to steer away from it altogether. So this was new to her, and Sienna found she was quite speechless, and quite clueless with what to do or say next. Continue talking? Shut up and listen? Perhaps abandon this idea altogether? Shifting from foot to foot, Sienna tried to not let her discomfort show. Of course, all it’d do is increase in the next five minutes.

Eyes trained on the young Praetor now, Sienna watched him attempt and abandon all formalities. As he got closer, Sienna automatically took a step back, before rooting her feet in place. The girl was uncomfortable in this new Camp Jupiter, and it wasn’t just about her assigned cohort. The newly formed relationship between Romans and Greeks, the new leadership, and all these new faces…Sienna felt very out of place here. Like she’d been something old transplanted into a new thing. It’d take time, she knew, just like it took time when she’d first arrived to the old Camp Jupiter. But she wasn’t sure if she was willing to let the time pass, if she was willing to stay here…The girl was very unsure now. And she was sure her face reflected a mixture of that confusion, with a tint or two of apprehension and fright. Biting her lip as the praetor continued to speak, Sienna nodded reluctantly every now and then. “Yes, sir,” Sienna muttered in reply to Elijah’s order to calm down. Her arm was gripping onto her tattooed arm tightly now, and her eyes had shifted downward. Sienna didn’t say anything more, but as he continued talking, Sienna felt her cheeks flush with embarrassment. All that confidence she’d had two seconds ago had seemed to run away, leaving a very embarrassed 19 year old getting told off by her 17 year old superior.

As the boy finished his speech, Sienna looked back up. “I understand. With what had happened already, Sienna was pretty sure she wasn’t feeling welcome in Camp Jupiter 2.0, and she was very sure any further issues she had in the future weren’t going to be reported. She’d heard stories, rumor, and gossip about exactly why the other Praetor was out of commission…but Sienna was not going to bring that up. She was already set on a collision course; she didn’t want to turn it into a suicide mission. And for her introduction, Sienna briefly straightened, before slouching again. The boy didn’t care for formalities, and for the moment, Sienna was going to have to do what he wanted. “Legionnaire Sienna Linslee, Fourth Cohort…but you knew most of that already.”

“I would like to discuss my cohort placement, that is correct,” Sienna continued. The girl remained standing, because at least then it wouldn’t feel like she’d be sitting across the desk from the principal explaining why she shouldn’t get detention. And at least whatever her body might be radiating, her voice was still clear and consistent. “Less than discuss, I suppose,” Sienna corrected. She was stuck in her cohort, she knew that. And Sienna was sure whatever happened here, there was a 110% chance she was staying in the Fourth. But she wanted to get her reasons in. “I’m sure you get plenty of people who want to switch cohorts…or maybe you don’t. This isn’t one of those requests.” Sienna had made a split second decision. Why petition for something that wasn’t going to happen? Sienna had wanted a different cohort for a different reason, besides herself. And while she kept plenty of secrets, the girl was going to have to explain herself. “I wanted a higher cohort…because…” Sienna faltered. How exactly did she explain this? Licking her lips, Sienna decided to try again.

“Cohorts drill and train by themselves…there isn’t much interaction between cohorts, the way I remember it,” Sienna flatly stated. Shifting her stance, the girl abandoned the straight posture. Relax, she chided herself. “But I already had, um, have, a training partner, my best friend…and we wanted the same cohort.” And from there, Sienna just spilled. “And I’m not very good at fighting or training. I’m not strong, like most Romans. But she is. And, I just…I don’t want to lose her again.” Cheeks burning, Sienna looked down again. She didn’t expect the Praetor to understand. A son of Discordia…chaos was in his blood. And whether they tried or not, children of chaos fed off it, and lusted for it. And this situation was plenty chaotic. Elijah must be laughing at her silently, she knew. It was ridiculous, and the girl’s reaction was ridiculous as well. But she had started something, and now she had to finish it.

“I don’t have much more to say.” Sienna was never going back to the Principia again, she decided. She’d blend in during morning and evening muster, and train alone; assuming this…request of sorts was denied. After this, the girl would be happy to not see this praetor for a long time. He couldn’t possibly understand her feelings right now. Sienna had lost her best friend, for nearly two years. They’d just reunited again, a little while ago, and now they were going to be separated again. And all because Sienna blew it. Because she couldn’t be Roman enough to get into a cohort Calla was certain to get into. There was silence, and then Sienna broke the silence. “I’d rather you not leave me in a state of suspension, sir,” Sienna finally spoke. Rubbing her tattoo one last time, Sienna finished up for the moment. “Gods know I’ve been through plenty of that already.”

This was the absolutely last thing Elijah wanted to be dealing with right now...petty cohort drama? It was like being back in high school, Roman Legion style. At this point, he knew the best thing would be to remain calm, talk this out, and let the girl go on her way. No matter what the outcome may be. And the outcome would be that the boy wouldn't allow for a whole cohort switch. It didn't add up for him, reasoning or no. And it really didn't help that the girl was so incredibly tense. Elijah could feel himself to radiate, waves of chaos slowly rolling off his body. On one hand, Elijah knew it must be a difficult adjustment from the old Camp Jupiter to the new one he knew and loved. And in all honesty, he would have been completely lost in the switch. "Tu scis quod omnis mutatio est bonum? Aenean semper honeste non possum dicere melius est urna...sed non est bonum simpliciter," the boy finally said, not even realizing his switch to Latin. That was happening unfairly often these days. When he did realize, though, Elijah simply waved it off, hoping the girl understood. Most Romans could handle a bit of Latin. None of what the boy had spoken was too difficult. "Great," the boy finally sighed. "Understanding is good. And the introduction is much appreciated. I honestly couldn't even remember your name. There's been a lot going on, and most names have been slipping away. No offense meant to you, Legionnaire Linslee," was it fair that Elijah spent most of his time sounding like a total jerk these days? Without Calix around to keep him in line, to balance him out, the chaos and strife side of the scale was tipping a bit too much. And as much as the boy tried, he nearly always ended up sounding quite nasty or rude or very unprofessional (although even at his best he was pretty far from unprofessional, in all honesty). An atypical Roman running the Legion. Elijah was in constant fear of fiery destruction.

And onto the discussion bit. Paperwork, as much as he hated it, was pretty easily dealt with (especially with Elijah's new filing system). Issues among campers were usually nicely resolved once things were talked out. It was pretty rare the boy had to make threats (although he did have to from time to time, and at this point, most campers knew it was best to be at least a little afraid of Praetor Emmanual). But this sort of thing? Great Gods, what Elijah wouldn't give to have Calix with him right now. "I really don't understand why you don't want to sit down. I mean, seriously? I'm younger than you, shorter than you, and have on a lot more makeup than you..." trailing off, the boy added as an afterthought, "And you haven't really been around long enough to hear too many stories about me. You know what's weird, though? Four months ago I punched my now boyfriend in the face. So I guess it's best to leave some of these things alone," Elijah shrugged. Going off topic again. No one to keep him in line. Again. It took a moment for Elijah to process the girl's next words. Ah, well at least she had reasons. "Actually, most people are fine with their cohort placement. But I am willing to listen to your reasoning. I may be a bit rough around the edges, but I try. But really, sit down, let's not make this worse for either of us, yeah?" seating himself in his chair, Elijah motioned to a chair on the other side of the table.

This, however, was a nightmare. Sienna's reasoning...it made too much sense, which made it a bit harder for Elijah to process. Sense wasn't exactly his strong suit. He listened as best as he could, tried to relax himself, as he could feel himself radiating more and more. Gratias, matrem. When Lúth got back...when Lúth got back...Elijah would make her help him with the whole chaos control thing. He couldn't keep doing this. To himself...to others. At least Jack's amulet blocked the radiation pretty well and River could throw up some nice magic shields and whatnot. "Look, Sienna..." it took the boy a moment to figure out how to say what he had to say tactfully and wisely. Ancient Rome...Praetors were chosen for their skill in battle and wise council. Elijah wasn't sure he had either of those things completely down, and in all honesty, whoever had the brilliant idea to put him in the spot couldn't have been of sound mind at that point in time, but without Calix there to balance him out, the boy had to do his best. "Change. No one likes it, but it happens. I was never at the old Camp Jupiter, so I can't attest to all that, but things are different now. Let's face it...there aren't a lot of us anymore. We've had to adapt. Quite frankly, no one cares about drilling or training outside of your cohort, aside from the necessary things. My best friend is in the Second. Do you think that stops me from pestering her if I have a free moment? My boyfriend somehow ended up in the First...don't really understand that one, but I digress...I still wake him up at 5:55 every morning to go running with me. Change. We're a smaller group by now, and some things are much, much more important than sticking with your cohort. If you really value standing with your cohort over working with your best friend, I'd say you really need to sort out your priorities."

There. That sounded diplomatic...dignified. Right? Gods...Elijah had been questioning himself way too much these days. "Sienna," the boy finally sighed. "You've presented your reasoning to me. Honestly, it made a lot of sense, and I'm really no good with sense. You'll be staying in the Fourth. But don't let that get in the way of an already built relationship...that's something to hold on to no matter what. That's an advantage you have over most of us, who had to start from scratch," Elijah remembered his first few weeks at camp...alone, scared, not sure of what he was...who he was...and how everything had just changed. "However..." the boy finally remembered words. Spoken words, some things that needed to be said. "I can't encourage you to alienate from your cohort. Don't go in thinking things are so straightforward and narrow. People could surprise you. I understand the whole best friend thing, really, I do...but you may find yourself amongst some strong fighters and hard workers. I hate to use dumb phrases like this, but as they say, try to make the best of your situation. Or whatever they say. Stranger things have happened...I mean...have you ever tried putting two children of Discordia under the same roof? It's really not too pretty. Let's never touch that one again," his heart hurt a bit, remembering his days as the Third Cohort Centurion in the barrack with his sister. How things had changed! Finding the crystal under his old bed...the crystal that now beat steadily next to his heart. Lúth was alive, and she would find her way back. Elijah suddenly felt like he had aged a million years in just a few weeks. Feeling human was still a bit of a rarity. "If you'd like to continue thinking that you're the only one who's been through too much, seen too much...your life is about to get a lot more complicated," leaning forward slightly, Elijah lowered his voice. "None of us have had it easy. That's just the way it is. So next time you find yourself stuck in a rut, use your resources instead of complaining. I'm here to listen and help, but if you had just taken a moment to observe the way things work now, you would have saved yourself a lot of anxiety," maybe not the kindest of words, but hopefully they got the point across. "And the moment you make me your enemy, things will get ugly. Not because I'm a Praetor...but because I'm Elijah Emmanual, son of Discordia Ferocimus," for good measure...and possibly to make things a little more confusing, Elijah added with a soft sigh, "Am I understood?"

Shifting from foot to foot, Sienna could feel that her presence was unwanted here. Bothering the only currently functioning praetor with something like this was…stupid, to say the least. Probably one of the reasons Sienna always managed to get in trouble. Looking down as her foot traced circles, Sienna listened without moving as the praetor switched from English to Latin and back again. The girl had been around the original Camp Jupiter long enough that such occurrences were normal, and it had been weird that it hadn’t been happening more often. She was also at the sad point where she could understand everything that was said, but had trouble speaking back. Accountable for the fact Sienna soaked in all the Latin, but always replied back in English. Looking back at Elijah, the girl just shrugged at his statement. Change. Ugh. Sienna could do without her whole world changing, and knocking her off her feet. From camp to city to camp again, Sienna would be delighted if her whole world remained static for a while.

Again understandable that Sienna’s name had slipped the Praetor, Sienna just shrugged again. “Not a problem, you’re a busy…” the girl trailed off here. What to say, man, boy? This boy was her superior, but Sienna honestly couldn’t help seeing him in that light. “Person,” the girl substituted. Neutral enough. Her foot stopped tracing circles, and Sienna shifted her eyes back to the praetor as he spoke. He was the one supplying much of the conversation. Sienna didn’t speak as much as others, but when she replied, she tried to say everything she had to say as briefly as possible. Why say something in two words if you can say it in one? And the girl couldn’t help but crack a smile at Elijah’s comment about the make-up. As long as he was joking, so was she. Makeup was one of those nearly useless substances to her. But as it seemed important to the boy, Sienna bit her lip and stayed silent. But then she spoke, saying something she really had no business saying. “I’ve heard plenty about you,” Sienna replied, voice even. Take it as he will, Roman gossip was famous. All roads lead to Rome, no? The girl had heard plenty of gossip, rumors, and everything in between about the praetor, simply for being one of the highest positions in camp. While she couldn’t gauge what was true and what wasn’t, Sienna wasn’t going to be intimidated by some stories. She’d preferred to see the son of Chaos herself, and judge him herself. And at this point, all she could concretely say for sure was that if you wanted to get either of the praetors riled, you just mentioned the…unfortunate occurrence between Hades and Elijah’s sister. And since Sienna wasn’t purposefully suicidal, she kept that quiet. So she didn’t argue as Elijah told her, again, to sit down.

Sighing, Sienna plopped herself down on the aforementioned seat. So much for avoiding the principal-student scenario. Scrunching her eyebrows, Sienna kept her eyes trained at her lap. More out of embarrassment than anything else at this point. The praetor had a habit of weaving in and out of topic, so Sienna hoped to just forget this whole thing had ever happened. It’d been a bit of a failure on her side, although Sienna couldn’t understand exactly why she’d come here. It’d been in the heat of the moment, and Sienna felt herself deflate with her loss. What exactly had she expected to happen, anyway? Not this, at the very least. The girl had never liked change, and now she found herself thinking about it with distaste. She was never going to change again, if she could help it. Now that she was in Fourth, she was going to work so hard. At what, and for what remained to be seen, but the girl wasn’t going to adopt the stereotypes of the Fourth Cohort. No. She was going to try and adopt the mindset of First or Second…which shouldn’t be too hard considering Calla’s cohort.

The girl’s eyes shifted upward to rest on the young praetor as he began to speak about change. And about priorities. Sienna had to force herself not to reply sharply about her priorities, and instead focused her attention on relaxing her shoulders, which had indeed tensed up. Speak calmly. “I didn’t say that,” Sienna responded. For the first time, which was a little out of character for her, Sienna spoke in a quiet voice that wavered slightly. “Don’t you dare guess at my priorities. Why do you think I’m here?” the girl responded, gritting her teeth. Scuffing the heel of her shoe on the ground, Sienna looked back down. This was all so extremely uncomfortable for her right now. She wanted to just bolt out of here and forget she’d been in such a rash mindset this morning. Obviously not happening just yet. “I assumed as much,” the girl replied as Elijah stated she’d stay in the Fourth. Maybe she could just train by herself and with Calla when she got the opportunity. If cohorts didn’t matter as much, would it matter if Sienna trained with them or not?

But of course, that was addressed directly as that thought ran through her mind. I can’t encourage you to alienate from your cohort. Well, darn. Almost as if the boy had been reading her mind. And again, Sienna felt misunderstood as the praetor continued to speak. “I didn’t say that!” Sienna reiterated, in an outraged tone this time. She knew demigods had a hard life. The girl was no exception. The girl leaned back as Elijah continued talking, resting her back against the chair. Sienna fought a mental battle with herself between tensing up and relaxing. Harder than she thought. “Understood, sir,” Sienna replied one last time, through gritted teeth. And that defeated Sienna. She knew she wouldn’t win whatever in Pluto this was. This boy was her superior and he had the last word in anything. Arguing against this would make an enemy out of her boss, which, as Elijah stated clearly, would be a horrible and dumb thing to do. So Sienna was done. And she would vocally state such, so she could finish up this chewing-out-speech as soon as possible. “I’m done, sir. Thank you for listening,” Sienna stated. She tacked on the last statement as an afterthought. Squirming slightly in her chair, Sienna didn’t stand up yet. She wasn’t going to leave until he dismissed her. So, in an attempt to lighten the mood (and relax, gods, she needed to relax), Sienna attempted to make light conversation. And basing off something the boy had mentioned earlier, the girl decided nothing bad could come out of a little romance question. “May I ask exactly how you and your boyfriend got from punching dummies to, um…this?” What a fail. Sienna couldn’t even finish her question. The girl hadn’t ever really talked about romance much before. She’d had one boyfriend, and it’d ended badly. At first, her friends told her she’d be cynical, so Sienna had refrained from speaking of the subject. And that had turned to an almost-boycott of the term. But she had asked already, so Sienna just shifted again in her seat and waited to be dismissed, punched, or some third option she hadn’t thought of.

Although he knew he had a habit of explaining things without explaining them first, Elijah hated feeling like he wasn't even being listened to. Who knew if Sienna was listening at this point or not, but the boy wasn't sure any of it was getting through to her. Maybe he should have stressed the fact that he was the one in charge a bit more. Either way, this definitely was ending up being a bit harder than Elijah had planned. He supposed hard headed people were just like that, though...she'd get the picture eventually. Though the boy's ranting couldn't be helping. Chaos. What a silly abstract. Shame he couldn't give that one up along with time. Someday, Elijah would probably just make up a list of things to keep and things to toss. Chaos. No matter what, that one would always be with him. A blessing and a curse, the boy figured. In and out of sticky situations. In and out of...everything. "Stupid," Elijah mumbled, wishing he had taken the day off or something, In all honesty, who could blame him? Running the Legion or not, Elijah deserved a day off. Grabbing a half hour or so whenever he could just wasn't cutting it anymore. Maybe tomorrow...what was tomorrow, anyway? The days were running together...definitely not a good thing. He'd make Jack tell him tonight. "Yes, I am a busy person," Elijah snorted, rolling his eyes at the girl's pause. "Though it's not nice to just say person, you know. Here's a list of alternatives for next time...man, boy, guy, son of Discordia, seventeen year old, Praetor...I like details, and I like specifics," okay, now the boy simply wasn't being nice. And in all honesty, he simply didn't care. "Heard plenty about me..." the boy mumbled with a snort. "The rumor mill, huh? Well, in case you can't figure out fact from fiction, I'll just assure you that I can have you on the ground screaming in pain or completely unconscious in five minutes. Less, maybe. Haven't timed it out in awhile. Whatever, there's a fun fact. I know I don't look scary, but you should never judge a book by its cover."

The girl sat, obviously not too happily. Elijah wasn't too happy either, but at least he wasn't acting like a child. Or maybe he was. Who cared, he was still the one in charge. And Sienna was giving him a headache. What the boy wouldn't do for some Tylenol right now. This couldn't be in his job description. Although it probably was. Of course, taking care of a mute eight year old boy wasn't in his job description, but there was still a sleeping bag and toys strewn about his bedroom floor. All lines were blurred nicely at this point. A day off, tomorrow, definitely...although the son of Discordia doubted that would actually happen. A quick glance at the papers piling in the corner of the table assured him the rest of today and tomorrow would be busy. Maybe the day after. "Yes," Elijah finally just snapped. "You're right, you didn't say that. And I don't have to guess at your priorities, they're coming across quite clear. If you didn't want to deal with new things you'd definitely be facing by returning to camp, you shouldn't have come. Obstacles are obstacles, Legionnaire Linslee. You're going to face them in many forms your entire life. You're not dumb, so stop acting like these challenges are yours and yours alone!" Elijah couldn't stand when people tried to make themselves into the victim. Childish! "You haven't said much, Legionnaire Linslee...and yet you've spoken volumes. And...honestly, I haven't liked much of it. I may be a jerk, but I really don't enjoy having to talk like this if I can avoid it. You understand? Then you would understand not to call me 'sir'. If I'm a person, as you so eloquently pointed out earlier, sir shouldn't be necessary, should it?"

This wasn't good. This really wasn't good. Biting peoples' heads off unnecessarily wasn't good. But Elijah just wasn't in the mood for this. For any of this. And in all fairness, Elijah was able to keep himself back from using a few choice words he had thought up and would have interjected at various points in his sentences. Restraint. Boundaries. New things to the boy. Maybe he would tell Sienna to thank Jack for helping Elijah with all that. Previous versions of the boy would have been much nastier. And quite possibly thrown a few punches. Sometimes it totally just reached that point. Although if Sienna kept calling him sir..."I listened, Legionnaire Linslee," Elijah sighed. "Did you?" the boy knew he had to relax. Had to relax and had to stop being mean. Go to the top of a mountain and become a hermit? Maybe drag Jack up there with him? Did that count as still being a hermit? So many questions...the boy was questioning everything these days. It probably wasn't good, or healthy. But he just had so many questions about everything. Nothing made sense anymore, not that everything necessarily had to, but Elijah liked when at least a few things made sense. For example...who in the Gods' names had decided he would be made a Praetor? Whoever it was, Elijah would have to have some sort of talk with them. And whoever decided it would be okay if Calix checked out for a bit? That would mean another serious talk (though the boy highly doubted a serious talk with the Fates or any of the Gods would do anyone much good. He was a mess, but Elijah certainly wasn't ready for certain death). Also, why was Sienna still sitting there? Oh...her whole traditional approach thing. That would mean Elijah would have to dismiss her. Or something. How did someone say 'Now get the heck out of the Principia!' without sounding like a monster?

Luckily (unluckily?), Sienna spoke before Elijah had to force himself to be nice. Of course, the question tore Elijah to shreds. It was a personal question that really wasn't the girl's business, but the boy was usually quick to talk about his and Jack's strange togetherness. It was something positive to think about, take his mind off of everything else that was going on. Elijah supposed he could tie it all together nicely. If he tried hard enough. Staring at the girl in shock for a moment, the son of Discordia finally figured out what to say. "Change," the boy finally said softly. "I gather you're not too fond of it at this point, but that's how it happened. He changed, I changed. Everything changed. Have you ever been in love, Legionnaire Linslee? It turns your entire world upside down. I've dealt with change, I've dealt with a lot of change. But this is beyond anything you could possibly imagine. So before you start fretting about change, remember that sometimes it's a good thing. Sometimes it's a really good thing...even if you don't think it is, it can be. Keep an open mind, because the second you start freaking out about how everything has changed and you end up coming to a moody Praetor because you're hot headed and rash, remember that sometimes change makes things better," that was kind of nice...right? Who knew at this point, and honestly, what did it even matter? Because in a moment, Elijah would be dismissing Sienna from this shared nightmare. And maybe Elijah would give himself the rest of the day off...find Jack and just sit with him somewhere. Get dizzying kisses, and remember why it was okay to be comfortable with change.

((Congratulations, Sienna Linslee, daughter of Venus! Keep giving Elijah trouble, yeah? ))

((This is sooo late...but yay for the claiming ^-^))

Shifting in her seat uncomfortably, Sienna folded her hands across her lap. The girl had been very impertinent since she’d come to the Principia, and she sensed that the best option right now was to shut up. Digging her grave with her tongue. That was what Sienna was doing right now. So, biting her lip to prevent herself from speaking unnecessarily, Sienna wove her fingers together and listened to the boy praetor speak. Unfortunately, she did not like what she heard. Critics on her word choice, and Sienna chanted in her head not to flinch when Elijah responded to her stab about Roman gossip. “I’m sure,” Sienna muttered in reply to Elijah’s comment (threat?). He’d already hit his now-boyfriend, Sienna had no doubt he’d hit an annoying legionnaire. Gazing down at her hands, Sienna let her hair fall in front of her face to form a curtain. This had definitely turned out badly. Although, honestly, what was Sienna expecting?

Her feet continued to form circles as Sienna listened to Elijah as he continued to reprimand her. Yes, they’d definitely entered the principal-student scenario. Sienna felt her cheeks redden with anger and embarrassment as the boy continued. But her eyes shot up as Elijah closed up that part of the lecture. One thing Sienna was very proud of was her loyalty to the old ways Camp Jupiter was run by. The girl had been trying to be respectful, calling her superior by his title, and his rejection of it was not alright with her. So Sienna ignored the voice in her head telling her to zip it, and opened her mouth to respond. “But as you so clearly stated earlier, you are the praetor and my superior, so ‘sir’ is entirely necessary,” Sienna snapped back in defense. She let the silent ‘sir’ rest at the end of the sentence. Blinking a couple times, Sienna let the glare disappear from her face.

Sienna knew she wasn’t the only one with difficulties. Obviously. But Sienna was struggling with what had happened in the past, and her role in causing it. She’d started some of her own misery, she knew, with her big mouth. The same mouth getting her in trouble now. Sienna had snapped, and said something she shouldn’t have. And that led to a year of misery. The girl just couldn’t learn, could she? Sienna had always had trouble with new situations, but maybe she’d thought she could get over that. That coming to this new Camp Jupiter would be turning over a new leaf, in several areas. It had, in some ways. But not the way Sienna wanted. And that was the thing about change. You really couldn’t decide what happened, or how it happened, or the consequences it had. That bothered Sienna. Maybe not the things changing themselves. But the way it changed things for her. The girl loved traditions, and the old ways; it was a part of her. And making new traditions and changing those things was uncomfortable for Sienna. It was like replacing a part of her, and it wasn’t something she could handle.

So when Elijah began to talk about change, Sienna sullenly listened. The girl could feel little pricks of glass stabbing her heart when Elijah talked about being in love. Gods, yes. Sienna understood that. And she understood heartbreak as well. Maybe love had been a nice change, but heartbreak was the unfortunate reaction to that action. And that was the one major change that had transformed Sienna’s life forever. Hadn’t it set her on her way to Camp Jupiter, looking to be whole again? Yes, she’d met her best friend and started a new life…but Sienna oftentimes wondered how different her life could have been without love. How much more innocent it could have been. Sienna gave a reluctant nod to acknowledge Elijah’s speech. She could sense that her presence here was unwanted; the boy wasn’t exactly hiding that. Sienna didn’t have much to say about change, and especially not to the praetor. Maybe change worked out for him. Maybe it made his life better. But Sienna would have to think about that more carefully, because she just couldn’t handle all these what-ifs.

And then Sienna’s life was changed again. The girl didn’t grasp it at first, and it was only after noticing the light change that Sienna had a notion of what was happening. Looking up, and seeing the dove, Sienna felt her heart drop into her stomach. No…not now, it couldn’t be happening now. Could it? Her heart began its journey back up as Sienna’s eyes widened. And then they shot straight forward at the presence of a woman. The woman Sienna’d been questioning about for years and years. The woman that had, ultimately, changed Sienna’s life forever, would be changing it again.

The girl didn’t speak as Venus (easily identified) spoke. How was Sienna always full of words, yet so empty right now? The girl had questions milling about in her head, so many questions. But she couldn’t speak any of them. One attempt failed quickly at which Sienna couldn’t get her voice to start. “M-mother?” Sienna stammered, with lack of better things to say. The girl leaned back in her chair, back pressed against the hard wood, refusing to believe this was happening. Venus? Now? Eyes continuing to be as wide as coins, Sienna cocked her head and listened to Venus speaking Latin. Oh, holy Jupiter. No. Elijah’s boyfriend, the one having been mentioned a few times, was… Sienna sneaked a glance at Elijah again, refusing to believe this as well. But her eyes snapped back to the beautiful goddess as Venus spoke her name. Why wasn’t the girl’s brain working? Why couldn’t she think any coherent thoughts right now? Sienna’s eyes shot down at the ring Venus was talking about. It was stunning, and Sienna had come to appreciate beautiful things. This fit under that category. Eyes drifting from Venus to the ring and back again, Sienna listened, a relieved expression on her face. At least somebody understood why she loved the old ways so much. A fuzzy feeling was spreading in her chest as the idea of being claimed started settling in her mind. The goddess was right, of course, Sienna had been searching and waiting for a long time. Questioning her father, questioning the old praetors, and questioning herself. And she was finally getting answers.

Watching the quick interaction between Venus and Elijah, Sienna was doubtful on that. Contrary to what Venus had said, the girl was sure this would only complicate things with the praetor further, and make it worse. Of course Elijah’s boyfriend had to be Sienna’s brother. Of course this had to be realized in the middle of an argument between Elijah and Sienna. Venus disappeared, the symbol above Sienna’s head disappeared, but the fuzzy feeling in her chest stayed. Fingering the ring, Sienna kept her eyes on it, rolling it around, examining it a bit. The girl paused, and then slowly slid it on. And then she looked up. Right at Elijah. Sienna should say something, she knew she should. “So,” Sienna began awkwardly. What to say next? ‘Back to the argument at hand?’ ‘So, my brother is your boyfriend. Awkward, right?’ No, that’d be bad. So Sienna stuck with the earlier observation of being unwelcome here. The girl stayed seated, but began to speak. “If this has been sorted out,” Sienna started awkwardly. “I can just leave, if you want. No formal dismissal necessary,” Sienna rushed quickly.