Torture time.

"Actually, I do!" Now my power wasn't anything to write home about (although I did send my dad letters when I found out about it and figured out how to control it, so...), but it was still a power and was actually pretty cool. "Now, it isn't anything bada*s, but I can basically give people around me a silent pep talk or something and boost their self esteem and such. It's actually proven to be useful in the War Games a few times."

"That's cool. If l ever have to hit on a girl, l'll make sure to pay you a visit first."

That actually made me laugh. Like, laugh for a solid ten seconds. Seriously. "Alright man; just ask for Basilone or Fidelis in the third if you need me."

Οh hey, Phil had made the guy laugh. There we go, now things had picked up. "Note taken. And if you need to... do a robbery or... someone has stolen your favorite teddy bear or anything, look for than annoying Mercury probie in the fifth. Or for anything, l have free time."

"You've caught my attention. Any details?"

Oh, wait, what? This dude was being serious. Sh*t. "I'm just joshing with you bro. IG is useless outside of camp anyway, plus there's no place to hide a bullion of it in camp either."

"Oh, and l actually though l would be useful on a quest or something. Uh... that's awkward." Phil said, trying to sound not to taken aback from the fact he hadn't got that Dean was joking.

I just nodded and replied "I'm sure you are." There was this awkward feeling in the air, and it made me not really want to speak for awhile. Maybe the next thirty minutes won't be so long now.

Right. So, back to square one again. Great. Now there was an extra 30 minutes of Phil thinking of how to make up for his stupidity- then again he really didn't have a reason to do so, but still. It was a matter of self esteem. He was annoying, not shy dammit. "So, if l move now, will l have to clean the Via Principalis with a toothbrush, again?"

Well that was an odd comment. "Why do you think that will happen?"

Well, that was an odd question. "Um, because, l am not 'allowed' to move from my spot and cause roman punishments. Have you cleaned the Via Principalis with the toothbrush? It's even worse than it sounds."

"Because l want to."

"Hm, l wouldn't call me that but.. minor things stolen, most of them returned, one of which was the toothbrush l cleaned the Via. Which l was made to clean cause l apparently got on your optio's bad side. Tiberia, is it?"

"Oh." Wait a minute... "Oh, wait, what?! You're the jacka*s that picked a fight with Tiberia?!"

"Uh, no not 'fight' l am not THAT stupid. But l guess l am a jacka*s, as you put it."

Phil shrugged. "Talk, l guess." He had managed to steal some tablets of her or sometging but it seemed she didn't understand it, or valued them, for that matter.

Talk? Seriously? Is that the best he could come up with? "Bullsh*t. What did you really do?"

"Wow, you know me for the past... l don't know it feels like centuries but it's probably been 40"minutes and you already have made such a good impression on you? Really it was just talking...during sparring training. Let's just say l am not good at concentrating on the task at hand."

Phil shrugged again. "I can be annoying, l guess."

"Whatever you say man." At least he's honest with himself. "So you mentioned hitting on girls earlier; got anyone in mind?"