.Stone And Lumber (Johanna Mason X F.OC).

-Training-

Johanna was lonely, so lonely.

No one remained, no one.

She needed to repeat too herself that her family's death was a good thing, that they couldn't be hurt anymore and she couldn't be controlled.

But moments like these, the creaking of an empty home in a rain storm, it made her feel even more alone.

She was staring at the ceiling, laying on the actual ground.

Listening to the rattling of the faulty window in the kitchen, listening to the branch beat against another window.

She sighed, squeezing her hand and crinkling the paper.

She still hadn't called, she told herself that there was nothing else to do today.

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A blocked downwards swing, twist of the wrist leading to knocking the short sword aside and swinging up, blade against flesh.

A swing up but caught in a gloved hand, yanking to the left and tripping the opposite way, body going sprawling, blade back to stop the movement.

"Still too slow." Athena said, tapping the flat of the short sword in her hold against Cato's chin from bellow. "I could have slit your throat twice in less then five seconds if I wanted it." Athena said, brushing the wet hair out of her face with a grin, dropping the blade he was using away from her hand so he could pick it up.

"Again." Cato scrambled up from the muddy ground, neither caring for the storm.

The glint on metal dangerous as lightning fell.

She stood with an arm behind her back and pointing her blade at him as she stood side ways.

He held his up and rushed her.

"Too impatient Cato." She said, swiping his weight bearing foot with her own as he stepped close too her while swinging her blade down the length of her leg to cut the short sword from hitting it, him flailing his arm as his fell too the side. "Don't rush, let them come too you if you can." She swung the blade upwards as if there was someone there, a diagonal cut from lower left too top right, easily done as she was a lefty and muscle memory. "We should go back inside." She said, inviting him more then ordering despite the cold biting her skin and making it uncomfortable to bare it when she knew she could just go inside and escape it.

He pushed up, caked with mud while at most it was her boots too her knees and thighs that were covered from stomping around and him.

She put a hand on the back edge of her blade to firmly block it in place when a swing came from down in the mud, pushing back and swinging her foot up and down on the flat of the sword, stomping it in the mud and sending it splattering around.

"Come on Munchkin. It is getting cold and I don't want you to catch anything, we'll continue tomorrow." She said, not taking her foot off the blade despite his hand being trapped under the handle.

"Fine." She stepped off, offering a hand but he stood up alone.

"Don't be mad Munchkin, this is for the best." She smiled softly.

"I know that but how will I ever be good enough if I keep failing?" He asked, throwing his arms out, defeated.

"It is through defeat that you get stronger, I am older then you Munchkin, I trained way more, plus I am a victor, I have a lot of experience."

"But--" "Munchkin." She sighed, ruffling his hair and getting the mud from it all on her glove, careful to not make the claws pop out. "You have a lot to learn, you still have time, you can never be me, not only is this blade a secondary not my main but I am quite odd in the way I fight, you can never fight like me. Remember, we needed to make a really special request to have my teacher come from 1 to help me since I fight open handed and unarmed most of the time... All of that to tell you that you can't compare yourself too me as that can't be done, you are great in your own way.... And now move your ass inside." She slapped it when mentioned. (I might be odd but I love slapping my brother's butt because it annoys him.... Then it is a dead sprint to not be caught by him.)

She walked away with a smile, hearing him follow and opened the door for him.

She closed it after her and sighed when he walked up the stairs to his room, resting the blade on the desk by the door like anyone would with a pair of keys or unwanted mail.

She walked too the kitchen and sat on one of the chairs, crossing her arms on the table and leaning her head on them.

It was so exhausting to know that in three years her brother's fate will be sealed.

She didn't show it, heck told him off about it just now, but she too was getting frustrated with his skills.

She wanted him to be able to beat her, to kill her, so that she was sure he could win against anyone.

"Brutus maybe." She grumbled, holding her head with one hand. "Maybe he could train him to kill me? He was my mentor even if he is a sack of shit. That must have it's merit still."

She wanted Cato safe but she had no idea what to do, she was so scared for him and it was still three years away.

She snapped from her thoughts when she heard something, waiting for a moment if she'd hear it again and she did.

She looked over her shoulder with a raised eyebrow.

The phone.