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2:35 On The Dot ((Sarpedon Illicon))

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Post by Izzy Abney Tue Jan 12, 2016 2:41 pm

Getting claimed was...something of a wakeup call for Izzy.  He realized he had been at Camp Jupiter 2.0 for four and a half months, and hadn't done much training with weapons.  And now that he knew who his father was, the boy realized that he had to start working on everything.  The time for getting by with little weapon work was past...he couldn't just sit in the barrack writing or learning Latin.  It was time to...figure out what sort of thing he could do as a son of Mercury, and learn how to fight for himself.  The boy knew he was going to need those skills someday.  It didn't matter if it was in the near future, the far future, or anytime in between, killing monsters and enemies, whatever they may be, was a needed ability.  And although Izzy wasn't sure why it took his claiming to realize that, he was sort of grateful to his brain for figuring it out.  Already, the boy had written countless pages in his bottomless journal about the need to train...the need to learn a weapon or two.  And it was time to put that into action.

At first, Izzy wasn't sure how to go about doing that.  He had done small amounts of training in the arena, pretty much grabbing any weapon that felt sort of right.  It wasn't like he'd used a wide variety...mainly spears and swords and daggers.  Part of the problem was he didn't know how to find a weapon that fit him best...there had to be something in there balanced for him, but the boy had no clue how to properly find one.  That was probably the hardest part, the part that Izzy knew he would need help with.  He had tried to think about things logically...out of all the weapons he had tried, the boy had most liked the daggers he had used.  It was easier for him to move lightly holding them...a skill he had come to think came along with his father.  It certainly made sense that a child of the traveling God would be light on his feet, and now Izzy could go into training knowing that was a part of his gift.  After some research in the library, the boy had come to figure out bits and pieces of what he had inherited from his father, power wise.

The idea had hit him in the middle of the night.  Izzy hadn't been able to sleep, so he had been pacing the barrack, very quietly.  He was pretty sure that was another thing inherited from Mercury...the ability to walk too softly to be heard.  Around 3:30am, the boy remembered something...something that could be very useful.  There was a boy, Saar, who was a legacy of Mars.  The two boys had had a fair amount of interaction...their relationship wasn't necessarily one way or another, but the son of Mercury was pretty sure Saar would be up for helping him with a weapon.  Who better than a legacy of the war God, anyway?  Since the idea had come in the wee hours of the morning, Izzy had to hold on to it, rather excitedly, until the actual morning.  He hadn't been able to get back to sleep before morning Muster, and figured he could nap some after breakfast...but first, he had to talk to Saar.

It had worked out...something that was definitely a relief to Izzy.  Saar had offered an afternoon on a Friday...and Izzy was very grateful that the other had offered his own time to help the still rather new boy out.  The legacy of Mars had instructed the other to meet him at 2:35 sharp at the arena.  The boy had written and circled the time in the margin of his journal page, so he wouldn't forget it.  On one hand, he was terrified...it definitely wasn't going to be easy training with Saar, but that just meant that Izzy would be getting an amazing training session.  He was so sure that the other was going to do a tremendous amount of helping...something that the son of Mercury definitely needed right now.  He was prepared for a lot of constructive criticism, for an intense workout...for the start of learning how to use a weapon in real life situations.  It was going to work out perfectly, Izzy was sure of it.

At 2:25, Izzy pulled together everything he thought he needed from his barrack before heading over to the arena.  He knew he'd get there a bit early, but the boy figured that it was best to err on the side of more time than be rushing over at the last minute.  Saar was definitely serious about the time...as far as Izzy was concerned, he was serious about everything.  Besides, there was other stuff to get to before they actually started training...the boy would need the help finding a dagger that fit him perfectly, and warm up...he supposed about the last one, anyway.  As he reached the arena, Izzy checked his watch...2:30...perfect.  Feeling a bit awkward, the boy stood, waiting for Saar to arrive as well.
Izzy Abney
Izzy Abney
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Son of Mercury Durus
Fourth Cohort

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Post by Sarpedon Illicon Sun Jan 17, 2016 3:40 pm

There were a few words to describe Saar's approach to activities at Camp Jupiter, frenzied perhaps being the most accurate at this time. He wasn't doing anything wrong, there were no rules or laws against spending time with Ronnie, but there was a part of him that refused to believe it. Growing up, pretty much anything that made him happy or was something that would be too big a blow to efficiency had been deemed a waste of time, the only exception being Rugby. It was the end goal after all; Saar was luckily one of those people who enjoyed the game. He'd been hurled at it by his parents but had fallen in love with it almost immediately, and willingly threw himself into it week after week with a passion that honestly terrified some of his teammates. It was that dedication and, to the casual observer, recklessness that he brought to his duties and training. The thing is, nothing Saar did hadn't been mulled over, hadn't had the opportunity costs weighed and analysed. Certainty was something he held close to his heart in all things... well, not everything. Around Ronnie, everything seemed clearer yet painted in different shades of grey. He used to consider his perspective as unwavering as his loyalty, but around the daughter of Janus, it was elsewise. Perhaps that's what stung him into action, a sense of guilt that he wasn't giving his whole being to the bettering of Rome. When Saar had first arrived, he'd gone to lengths to help others and do more than his fair share. Nowadays, he set himself an intense training schedule, did his required duties to the letter, and savoured his free time as much as possible.

When Izzy approached him asking for some help with weapon work, the blonde demigod had been a little shocked; beyond the Augur, nobody really ever sought him anymore, not since Cero had left. He'd accepted, of course he had. It was his duty. To turn away the Roman was to let inexperience fester within the camp, and that was not something he could allow. They'd discussed a few ideas of what the boy was looking for, and Saar found himself agreeing with the boy's suggestions. It was hard to say why, but it was the way Izzy... moved. He wouldn't describe it as gliding, not graceful perhaps, but something like it. Like Izzy was where he was because he intended it so exactly, and if he wished it, he could be somewhere else entirely. Fluid. That was the word. You couldn't teach fluidity. Not really, you could work out some of the stiffness someone had, but true fluidity was rare.

Saar stepped out of Praetor Kiril's office, his guard report left in the appropriate box. Like with everything, Saar's report was precisely phrased, each word deliberately picked and transcribed to ensure the highest level of accuracy and objectivity. It didn't matter that there hadn't really been anything to report, maintaining good habits was vital to Roman life and this was no exception. Sure, it meant it had taken him the best part of half an hour to get it to his satisfaction, but it wasn't a big deal, he wasn't going to be late. Saar didn't mind being assigned the lunch shift, the Mess Hall was always too loud that time of day anyway. Setting off at a light jog, he made his way through Camp Jupiter towards the Arena where he'd agreed to work with Izzy. Pulling an old battered pocket watch from its resting place, his light blue eyes ran over the hands: 2:32. Making his way into the sandy area, he immediately noted that the son of Mercury was already present. Good, he liked punctuality. Raising his hand in greeting, Saar made his way over to the Fourth Cohort Legionnaire. Afternoon. Good to see you made it. Perhaps it was the years where the word "efficiency" had been drilled into his skull over and over again, but waiting any further was pointless. Diving right into it, the blonde demigod eyed Izzy's gear critically, taking in every detail. No armour. That was a problem. It didn't matter how fast you were if you tripped just once and got yourself impaled, or if you were surprised and caught flat footed. One of those Greek demigods had been a little unstable and had tried to stab him in the back during the Capture the flag event, but the Roman's armour had protected him. The value of the metal shell encasing his body couldn’t be underestimated in a fight. If someone wanted to dance around him as fast and flexible as they liked, he’d let them. They’d tire out exerting themselves and he’d wear them down and crush them with a burst of his own speed. Saar was probably going to take a few minutes to see how the boy could move in different sets of armour, but that would come later.

Diving right into it, Saar continued. Right, jog over to that weapon rack, run back here, then sprint back over there immediately. No pauses. The wooden rack in question was about fifty feet away, not too far at all. Stretching before the warm ups were pointless, but excessive sprinting beforehand was bad. He wanted to get a better feel of Izzy's speed, and his turn of pace. The acceleration and the points of turning were what mattered the most. Top speed was fine and all, but you wouldn't be sprinting around a battlefield, at least, hopefully not, otherwise something had most likely gone wrong. It was the ability to change speeds at the drop of a coin that really mattered, it was the way you could simply avoid being where the enemies' weapons were after all. Saar had been considering a few different options for Izzy, weighing them out in his head. Surprise was always the best thing to have on one's side, and if there was any way he could incorporate that, then he would take it. To be able to throw someone off balance since they weren't expecting something was something that couldn't be underestimated. Izzy looked sturdy enough, tended to hunch his shoulders though. That could be changed. Once he got an idea of Izzy's dexterity, he could begin testing out combinations of weapons and arms. If he could maintain his fluidity in some of the heavier, more protective sets, all the better. Not only would it help protect the demigod, but it would catch an opponent off guard, not expecting him to be able to move as fast as he had while weighed down. It suited Saar perfectly, but it might not be the boy's style, and you couldn't force someone to fight in any manner they weren't comfortable, otherwise you'd practically be handicapping them. Before Izzy touched a weapon, Saar was going to find exactly how well the son of Mercury could move.
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Post by Izzy Abney Wed Jan 20, 2016 1:13 pm

Although he was only a few minutes early, they felt to Izzy like they were dragging on.  He was feeling more than slightly anxious, and the time wasn't helping with any of that.  How exactly was Saar going to train him?  In retrospect, the boy realized that was something he should have asked before committing to help from the other boy.  But it was, of course, too late for that now...the son of Mercury just had to trust in the other, and go along with it all.  It wasn't that he didn't have faith in Saar, because if anyone was going to be spectacular with training, it would be a legacy of Mars, it was more the idea of him not being able to handle the intensity of a training, workout session.  Izzy hadn't done much training on his own, which would probably complicate things even more.  Some things would be okay, he was sure...like moving...the boy moved quite well, something that now made sense as he knew who his father was.  But this was something completely different.  Could he remain nimble while holding a weapon?  Maybe Izzy should have tried harder before now.

But it was too late for all that.  Glancing at his watch, Izzy shut his eyes for a moment.  He could do this...he could do this!  At the moment, he was realizing, he was psyching himself out.  And in that, he certainly wasn't doing himself any favors.  With a deep breath, the boy tried to relax himself.  He had to be ready to train, to work out, to push himself.  Saar definitely wasn't going to go easy on him, Izzy was sure of that much.  That meant he had to be ready to tackle this.  And be grateful that the legacy of Mars was giving him the time at all.  After all, he didn't have to do any of this, especially since the two weren't exactly friends...but then again, they weren't exactly anything.  They had had two interesting, semi-awkward meetings, which wasn't really much, but enough for Izzy to feel okay asking for the help.  There had been a couple people the boy had considered asking.  He was pretty sure Saar was his best bet.

As he saw Saar approach, Izzy gave the big legacy a nervous smile.  This was it...he supposed.  The moment of truth, as silly as that sounded.  "Afternoon," he greeted the other boy in return.  At the legacy's comment about having made it, Izzy let out a soft chuckle.  "Of course I made it…you’re giving me some of your time…it would be quite rude to not show up," his shoulders slightly hunched, the boy hoped he didn't sound too insolent.  That happened from time to time...merely as a defense.  The son of Mercury was actually very grateful that Saar was giving some of his own time to help him out.  "So...thank you," the boy nodded slightly.  "For granting me some time.  It's very much appreciated," he wanted to make sure Saar knew Izzy was grateful for all this...he didn't have to be doing this...but he was anyway.  And that really meant a lot to the boy.  It really made him even more determined to work his hardest and learn properly.

Waiting for Saar's instructions, Izzy's face was set in a determined look.  He sort of felt like he wasn't ready for this...but he had to be ready for this.  Obviously, he couldn't back out now.  And really, it was just nerves.  The boy was pretty sure that once he got to work, he'd be distracted enough that he wouldn't be feeling this anxiety.  It was like...pre training jitters.  The idea almost brought a smile to the Brit's face.  He just had to go and phrase it in a ridiculously silly way.  But in some ways...that sort of helped.  This didn't have to be such a serious endeavor...Izzy was just making it so because that was what he did.  He was insanely serious by nature, and sometimes it was as if he was just making it harder on himself.  But he did that in all aspects of his life...it was a habit he needed to try and break, of course.  Maybe this was where he started on that.  Training was serious, but it shouldn't be a chore.  If the boy ever returned to the mortal world, these were life skills he would need.  Even if he didn't return, there was always a possibility of a war, or the sort of thing that happened at the first Camp Jupiter.  Izzy needed to know this.  But that didn't mean he had to be so somber.

When Saar gave Izzy his instructions, the boy breathed a soft sigh of relief.  Starting off with moving was good...that was something the boy could definitely do.  At least he could set the tone of things like that...unless he got super nervous again.  Wouldn't it be just like him to make an ass of himself because he was scared?  No...the boy had to brace himself.  Giving Saar a nod, he readied himself.  "Jog over to that weapon rack, run back here, then sprint back over there immediately. No pauses," Izzy repeated the directions under his breath before moving forward, letting his nimble feet guide him.  Moving quickly like that was so fluid for him, obviously something he had inherited from Mercury.  Moving lightly, the boy jogged at a quick pace, made a graceful turn to run back to where Saar stood, and making another graceful turn on his toes to sprint back.  Standing removed from Saar, Izzy caught the other's eyes.  "Was that okay?" he asked a bit timidly.  It had felt okay, but maybe it wasn't what Saar had been looking for.  "I...I could do it again...if you need..."
Izzy Abney
Izzy Abney
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Son of Mercury Durus
Fourth Cohort

Male Number of posts : 155
Age : 27
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Post by Sarpedon Illicon Wed Feb 03, 2016 4:34 pm

Right. Saar gave the recently claimed son of Mercury a slightly puzzled look, not sure whether the boy was being sarcastic or not. Saar was someone who believed words carried a lot of subtext to those who could read them, and always strived to make his as visible as possible. He hated miscommunication, but perhaps Izzy didn't feel the same way. Everyone had their own preferences when it came to speech, and Saar couldn't hold it against someone just because they weren't clear. He nodded in acknowledgement of Izzy's thanks, dropping his pack to one side, and slowly beginning to roll his shoulders out, loosening them up. No worries. I had the time. I am sure you will do the same in the future for someone else. It wasn't explicitly stated, certainly implied, but in a way, that was Saar's payment for the session. He wanted to make sure if the opportunity arose in the future, Izzy would pass on what he knew to another new legionnaire. There were only pros; teamwork, camaraderie, experience sharing, trust, skill development, loyalty, the list went on. Sharing knowledge and teaching was a significant part of an upcoming society, and withholding such behaviours would stunt the growth of the whole community. One thing Saar was certainly going to try to invoke was a passion for training. If he could get Izzy to want to improve and put in the hours himself, then most of his work was done and it'd only be a matter of time.

First thing was first though, find and establish a base line for skill, understand where he's at, and everything can be build off of that platform. Saar watched, with narrowed eyes, the legionnaire of the Fourth Cohort cross the set distance, comfortable not only with the slower speed but also smooth with the transitions into the faster paces. Izzy was certainly fleet of foot. Good, the potential was there. The distance was too short to find out his top speed, but it looked like the Brit would be able to give him a run for his money. Heh, puns. It would have been rather sad to find out the boy was wooden, and then have to stick him with a giant shield to hide behind. Not unless you want to. It was good. Good enough we can move on to a favourite exercise of mine. Saar moved forward as he spoke, pulling his gladius out and drawing a large circle in the sand, the blonde demigod beckoned him over. The area was about the size of one of those MMA rings; wide enough to dodge around in for a while at least. He gave a wolfish grin to his student, sheathing his blade and cracking his knuckles. Right, let us see how long you can stay on your feet. Rules: No eye gouging, no biting, no hits below the belt, can't leave the circle. You're more than welcome to try anything else and try to take me down, but I'll let you know now it won't work. Besides, I want to see how you move. I will time this. Next round is with daggers. The blonde demigod was still wearing his armour after all. He'd be mightily impressed if Izzy managed to get him down. It was one thing to be fast and fluid, but you had to be slippery, and this was especially important in determining the best way for the legionnaire to fight. If he didn't have that natural nack for managing to slip away, then it would be best to get the guy some armour. As it was, he wanted to see how long the boy could play mouse. A casual observer might not have noticed much as he spoke, but Ronnie would have immediately been able to hear the sliding of the structured phrasings into contractions, something that only happened with Saar when he was otherwise occupied enough to slip up.

Pulling a stopwatch out of his pocket, he stepped into the circle. Saar decided he'd be kind and start to one side rather than the centre, giving Izzy a lot more room to play with, before settling into a crouch, arms extended. He hit a button and grinned as a beep crossed the distance spanning the two demigods and slid the small device into a belt pouch. His thick boots crunched across the sand as they followed after the beep, circling clockwise, still giving Izzy some room. He wanted to see how the legionnaire would use it before starting to take it away.
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