-una_Spiderdust- x Valentine Valtieri ---Dancing Titan(3)

[Legion Of Spirits]

Valentine Valtieri

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Aster looked at Edge with the loving smile that held them together. Although when he had asked her what she had in mind, her eye twinkled with that spark of mischief, as the future was aligned and their path set, she knew that he was able to protect her whatever the cost.
she walked towards a chest humming a tune, something that would jar a few memories for Edge as she brought out her own blade, a birthday present from many years back and strapped it to her own waist, then she procured two bamboo blades.

" It has been a while since i have had a sparring partner, do you think you could humor me with a few rounds?.. its either that or horse riding.. but i know how inept you are at taming the beasts...if you were to give a horse as much compassion as you do me then you would probably gain their trust"

She said cheekily,

" as for a peaceful life Edge.. if i have but learned one thing, it is that there is no such thing as a peaceful life.. especially with you, it will either be manic or mayhem , a wild stampede of exhausting action, but not something i can complain about..except..How can people as active as ourselves have a date when being so active?"

Aster pondered with a grin, looking at him and smirked,

" it would probably be on some hunting party..a dead titan at your feet as you bend down and propose.."

she laughed, and silenced, in fact, all expression dropped from her face. Aster remembered the first time he had proposed and how his father had denied the union do to her low class blood, but how it was the day he had finished his training and had celebrated with her, how she had been all excited at his proposal and then how happiness was ruined, as his father announced his betrothal to another and that there were a child involved.
This placed a question into her head,

" do you think Vincent would accept me..as a mother figure..?"
it was true that Edge had only hinted at future probabilities, but Aster was not one to p***y foot around when it came to her future and their relationship. If Edge wanted her this much then he had many hurdles to jump before she would say i do. But she Believed in him hoped for him, worshiped the ground he walked upon, if only Edge could truly see how much Aster truly felt and how much pain she had endured from him and his family but had never lost hope in being with him. Standing up from the chest she coughed,

" well time is being wasted..we best get started"
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[Valentine Valtieri]

Edward "Edge" Morrison
"The path to heaven is often lead through hell..."

Muramasa: The Cursed Swordsman
"The path of the sword is similar..."

↳I can keep fighting...can you? [Condition: Green]
↳You will not surpass me! [Current Weapon: Long Sword]
↳You will know your master, like it or not! [Rank: Corporal]
↳Listen to the song of my soul... [Gentle: A Pure Soul]










"If your path ends up leading you through hell..."

Edge accepted the blade and felt the weight with a few practice swings. While he was generally trained to defeat Titans, a majority of his personal training went in to taking on opponents that were closer to his size. He learned a long time ago that trusting people to all do the same thing for the same reason was folly. Hatred was abundant and ripe within humanity, and they were just as apt to destroy themselves as they were to save themselves. He stared at her for a second when she quiped on his ability to ride horses, a sigh escaping his lips with a shake of the head. "I've never heard of a horse needing compassion. Of course...getting in to brawls with them doesn't work either."

Edge struck the tip of the blade against the ground and let the handle go as the sword collided with nothing but floor, causing the blade to air itself and spin as he caught it by its grip a second time. "Could you imagine me doing anything else? Quiet isn't exactly my style, so a flourish here and there wouldn't be a bad idea at all." Edge thought about it, and it didn't seem all that bad of an idea.

As he took his stance he noted that Aster's look towards the future was meant to catch everything. Edge shook his head after some time of thinking. "Vincent doesn't know what a mother is. He's told me himself time and time again that he doesn't understand love or emotion very well. Could you give him the comfort he lacks? If you could, I have no doubt he'd accept you." That was all Edge had to say on the matter...he didn't know his son as well as he could, but he at least knew that Vincent and Aster could mesh if they both desired to. Edge nodded, waiting for Aster to ready herself in turn. "Don't expect an easy time. I always give my best, regardless of my chosen sword."

A bit of a call-back to older days, and even with such a serious face on the outside, Edge couldn't want to laugh more. Aster had coaxed him out of his soldierly shell, and even during the spar she asked him for, he seemed to resemble his older self a bit more now than ever. With his back heel striking the ground once he reminded himself that he needed to focus in order to go through this with no problems. He'd been improving, so now was the time to show Aster that now or ever, she would not be able to handle him unless she was really trying. To Edge, it was a moment he didn't want to lose.

"Then it's only fitting you keep fighting until you find true nirvana..."

 

[Legion Of Spirits]

Valentine Valtieri

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Aster smirked and nudged lightly past him. " Yet you married a horse.. pretty much goes without saying really doesn't it" she jokes, of course the joke probably was of bad taste, she did however know Edge enough that he would know her humor, little did Edge know that Aster had deliberately goaded him into a sparring match to fulfill her own curiosities about his strength. Asters mind drifted for a moment upon the past and delved into it's darkest depths to pull out a memory of an old vow, a memory, a promise she had initially made herself as a child. When Edge responded about Vincent she snapped from her trance " ahh..that boy...you have made him a quivering wreck the poor boy.. i should whip your Terse just for that Edward Morrisson" ...

Oh she was trying as they stepped outside to Spar the breeze blowing its cold chilled air through Asters hair in waves of breath, her one eye stared forwards at Edge the other eye missing and not even patched over revealed just an empty hollow that scarred flesh had sealed over, not even her glass eye was present . She was going all out, not in an bid to intimidate him but to see the full extent of his strengths to see if the man before her whom she knew as but a boy had grown into the man she so yearned and ached for his protection.
She drew up her bamboo blade and went at him with pure grace and agility, the skill of a 3dmg user using grAvity effortlessly to take a strike at him on his butt. She gave a chuckle and awaited in defense for his offense, she had to admit though she was distracted, distracted by his radiance, and his over all manly presence even now he gave her butterflies.
++ † ++

 

[Valentine Valtieri]

Edward "Edge" Morrison
"The path to heaven is often lead through hell..."

Muramasa: The Cursed Swordsman
"The path of the sword is similar..."

↳I can keep fighting...can you? [Condition: Green]
↳You will not surpass me! [Current Weapon: Long Sword]
↳You will know your master, like it or not! [Rank: Corporal]
↳Listen to the song of my soul... [Gentle: A Pure Soul]










"If your path ends up leading you through hell..."

Edge shook his head at Aster's response about Vincent, but said nothing. Vincent was stronger than Aster gave him credit for...he was stronger than anyone gave him credit for...even himself. Edge waited for the day Vincent would surpass him, but that would not happen so long as he let himself be weighed down by simple things. He held the blade in front of him with both hands on the grip. Aster was going to take this seriously, so he'd have to do it too. She was just as prepared as he was.

Seeing her move forward Edge saw the very epitome of grace. Aster had been practiced, and still showed strength that was expected of her given her station. Edge watched her eyes, then her hands and saw how exactly the sword was being swept to the side. Edge switched his hold to a low one where the tip of the bamboo blade touched the ground. As Aster swung, Edge raised the sword up diagonally to knock Aster's swing off its path. "This'll sting." Edge reminded her as he brought the blade back down diagonally. The strike would hardly be a glancing blow to the shoulder were it to make contact. While not as fast as Aster, Edge was not lacking in skill or strength.

It was a unique form of communication, and one not easily understood. It was yet undeniably more powerful than words for both Aster and Edge alike. The smooth flow of combat, the intimate gamble of the spar...it spoke in volumes where neither of them did. It was a beautiful way to speak to Aster, if only by Edge's standards. When she fought him as if she meant it, he could only do the same thing in return. Through battle he showed truths that were hidden, and a person that had been missing for a very long time. In sparring with Aster, he was able to relive a story that he believed had long since died out.

Even in the middle of combat, however, one could not help but admire Aster's form. She exhibited the same beauty and strength he would've expected of her, and was much faster than him if he were to compare. She was fully prepared as a fighter, and despite her playing, Edge didn't doubt her one bit. Out of respect for her, he fought it out without holding back an inch. Aster deserves his best, and he was going to prove that he had not lost even a fraction of his skill. He still, however, needed a few moves if he were to defeat her in this spar.

"Then it's only fitting you keep fighting until you find true nirvana..."

 

[Legion Of Spirits]

Valentine Valtieri

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Aster fought hard and strong. the clicking of their blades keeping a beat like the drums of war, although rather it be war, Aster was infused with passion and want. That need , that yearning spurred her on urging Edge to silence it or to tame it , as the strikes continued and the parrying pushed blade against blade, the beads of sweat just made her flesh shimmer in the light of the dawns sun. Peering above the scarlet bed of clouds, Aster inhaled the scent of this new day and beginning, she wanted for Edge to defeat her just to show his dominance and to respect that he was a man. It was not that she felt the weaker sex, not at all in fact, Aster had spent so long proving that she was not some weak bloodied runt, that she forgot how it was to feel like a hot bloodied female.
She urged him to make her bleed, to break the cold shell that she had become, she wanted to re learn that vulnerability that brought the need for protection and safety, for too long she had been dependent of no one and only he had the key to open that Pandora's box.
Her swift movements made her slide to the right side of Edge, then to turn to face his back, as she jabbed with a tap of connection to move and face him " Do you remember our promise? can you recall what i said the day i refused you..?" she asked trying her best to awaken his anger, to awaken his own wants and needs. Was there a want ? was there a desire to hold her? could even hope to break his own hard shell to find some warmth of her own? those were things that Aster pondered as the clicks countered each other.
Her mind distracted by thoughts and feelings, though with a smile on her lips her eye streamed with tears, it could maybe be masked as sweat or the brightness of the dawn, but it was enough to distract her and his blade to come down, dropping her blade she caught the attack between her palms but fell back to the ground only to look up at him.
" There is nothing beautiful about me, and nothing to hold you here, years ago you made a choice and with that choice was birthed a son...in fact twice you caused me pain..why now... what has changed you to pursue me once again when you were so sure that you could love them...what makes me different?....what makes you so sure you could be happy with me?"

She asked, keeping herself there, without movement except to hold the blade steady, She looked him in the eyes hoping to find an answer. She hoped to break the man, she hoped to see his own sorrow an small hint to his own humanity ..tears.. tears that could hold her and not let go, tears that could let go of the past with simple words to cherish her. But was it too much to ask for from a man whom was taught to never show his emotion?
++ † ++

 

[Valentine Valtieri]

Edward "Edge" Morrison
"The path to heaven is often lead through hell..."

Muramasa: The Cursed Swordsman
"The path of the sword is similar..."

↳I can keep fighting...can you? [Condition: Green]
↳You will not surpass me! [Current Weapon: Long Sword]
↳You will know your master, like it or not! [Rank: Corporal]
↳Listen to the song of my soul... [Gentle: A Pure Soul]










"If your path ends up leading you through hell..."

Edge continued the encounter, every effort he put forth just as strong as when he begin. He brought his blade down, but contacted nothing. He struck the ground with the blade tip and twisted his wrist a bit to drain as much momentum as possible before turning to face Aster while bringing his blade up to her to continue the flow of combat. He was greeted with words rather than another strike, and what words they were. "As if I could forget..." Edge responded, beginning his assault again. Unconsciously, he struck as if he meant to kill. He fought seriously and no longer took it easy on Aster.

Edge took a breath as he brought his sword down on her, knocking her to the ground. She sacrificed her blade to catch his...a bold move, but extremely foolish. Should that have been a real strike, Edge may not have killed her, but she would have destroyed her hands. Her words stung, and in response to Aster's words he snatched the blade away in one swift flourish before throwing it off to the side. "Nothing's easy." Edge looked away from her, closing his eyes with somewhat of a grimace on his face. It was, as always, difficult for him to explain what he wanted to. This was all he knew.

Edge shook his head, the ebony waterfall of hair almost as obscuring as his personality. He didn't want her to look him in the eyes like that...it was more painful than she knew to stare back at his past and see how wrong everything was. "It's your choice to believe as you will...marred as you were, do you really consider that the end of everything?" Edge stopped there. That was deflection. With a frustrated sigh, he ran his hands through his hair and looked back to Aster. Those deep crimson eyes searched, but he couldn't find anything. He'd simply have to approach this as he approached battle. The flow was difficult to grasp for him, but it was the only way he could explain.

"What are you trying to pull with this? Why bring all of those memories up?" Edge knew for a fact that Aster could find a way through that shield of his that he always put up...it was pointless to assume otherwise. The angst, the frustrations...everything dredged up reminded him that he'd let go of the one person who meant something to him, and here he was unable to give her a proper answer to her question. Edge sat down on the ground, his expression visibly darker. What could he say to her? How could he say what he meant to her? What was he to do when he had no way to truly understand how he could convey what he never once had said?

"I was never certain...it was the one time in my life that I had been unsure of anything. It hurts to think about it, and I can't even speak when I think about it. I started to realize I was completely and utterly alone...I shut myself off behind steel walls only to see the world fall apart in front of me. That's what...scares me the most." Edge placed one hand on his forehead, concealing his left eye with his massive arms. "Loneliness is a blade sharper than anything I've ever forged. It stings to see your world collapse...you were the last remnant of a world I was too young to keep. I don't want you to vanish too, Aster. It frightens me...it frightens me to think of being utterly alone again and left stumbling in the dark. I don't care about your appearance, that's not what drew me to you. You're the light I need to navigate this terrifying abyss...it's because of you I strove to be strong. Not because of my father, not because of my brother...I wield this strength for those I care about. Regardless of whether I'm worthy of you or not, I love you...I always have and always will." Edge wondered how much he danced around it...he had always struggled with words as he grew in to what was a shadow of his father. He didn't want to be that shadow, and here...he almost certainly was himself again.

"Then it's only fitting you keep fighting until you find true nirvana..."

 

[Legion Of Spirits]

Valentine Valtieri

++† ++



Aster listened to Edge's words.
It as not that she was being vindictive , nor was she deliberately trying to hurt him, what she sought out was the man behind his rugged exterior, she reached out to him and moved him so his head rested on her lap. Like the past, Aster had been there for him, even when he thought he had lost her, Aster was there.

" No nothing's easy.. but in order to push forwards i just wanted to understand your reasons for still trying to be the man your father shaped, i do not consider this the end but more so the beginning, the beginning of what should have been and time regained from what was stolen and lost to us...why did i bring this up because i wanted to understand, i wanted in some way to see your humanity..i wanted to see the boy that made me fall in love"

Aster swallowed looking at Edge to look away , she did not want him to see her tears " that makes both of us...to loose you as i did...i cannot go through that pain again.....your more worthy than you realize you more than anyone understand me for you have lived it with me, you have been at the receiving end of my sorrow and are what makes me happy ...i could run from you but i am tired of running..and the voices in my heart wont allow me to do to you what others have...i want you...not a l cone of your father .. i want to see beyond your mask to that moment that beautiful moment where you said i love you.....as foolish as i probably am i am willing to let go of the past to be with you..yet i needed to see the warmth in your heart..for you cannot always rely on a blade or a fist to save me..sometimes words are the rope that binds us and keeps us clawing in the world, sometimes actions and other than war other than pain i needed to see the other side of you you have guarded and sealed away from others..I need to be able to seek your comfort and in that you seek mine..... " Aster pulled at his arm to touch his face " I have loved you for so long ..i want to mend you and fix you.. to protect your heart...i love you so much it hurts me to see how much pain i have allowed you to endure and have been so powerless to stop.. please my love let us not allow the wounds to fester .. let us be healed together..."
++ † ++

 

[Valentine Valtieri]

Edward "Edge" Morrison
"The path to heaven is often lead through hell..."

Muramasa: The Cursed Swordsman
"The path of the sword is similar..."

↳I can keep fighting...can you? [Condition: Green]
↳You will not surpass me! [Current Weapon: Long Sword]
↳You will know your master, like it or not! [Rank: Corporal]
↳Listen to the song of my soul... [Gentle: A Pure Soul]










"If your path ends up leading you through hell..."

Edge seemed surprised by Aster's surprisingly gentle reaction. The crimson light in his eyes considerably duller as the surprise faded from his face. Edge closed his scarlet eyes for momentary contemplation...Aster was right. She saw something that Edge had only rarely seen in himself. He was doing the only thing he knew how to do instead of learning...and that was a shame that he could not erase. The one man who had broken him down so many times kept his teachings alive through Edge. Why, then, could he not shed those expectations and what was built in to him?

"For all I've become, it seems that I have yet to master myself. The teachings to never show weakness remain, but..." Edge knew it wasn't truly weak. His training made him in to an almost different person, and he wasn't so sure he understood it himself. His teeth became clenched as he remembered his exchange with his father. 'To treasure a life...is that something to laugh at?!' He could never get through to him, and over time, Edge did Aster the greatest disservice by forgetting himself. By forgetting his humanity. It was the greatest form of weakness, and one he knew full well.

As Aster moved his arm and touched his face, he opened his eyes once more. Unlike before, he exhibited different traits that had been hidden. "I still have much to learn." Edge understood that he was far sharper with Aster than he should've been, but that was of his own fault. He had long since separated himself from the human that he should've been. Because of that he had been appearing as the one thing he despised. Edge grasped her hand, a crooked half-smile crossing his face. "As you said, I can't simply cut through everything. I certainly can't cut away pain, as much as I've tried. Thank you." Edge didn't expect to dredge up so many memories in such a short amount of time. He vowed that his strength would be enduring, but the stronger the aegis he put up, the weaker he was overall. Something, anything, would find a crack in his defenses, and then he'd be left with nothing. It was a sobering thought to be brought back down by Aster, but not at all unwelcome.

"Then it's only fitting you keep fighting until you find true nirvana..."