TORQUATUS, CICERO

[CICERO TORQUATUS]

CICERO ATTICUS TORQUATUS

|Roman Legacy | 17 | “Claim me”|
|Observation | Chord Overstreet |He/him/his|

PERSONALITY

He has a mellow personality, and is generally a guy who takes what comes without complaint. He doesn’t get angered easily, and he’ll take a lot of abuse in order to keep the peace. As a more neutral sort, Cero tries to keep an open mind about everything and will often end up being the one mediating arguments. He keeps a clear mind under pressure. This can, however, lead to vulnerability towards abuse. Cicero has issues standing for what he believes, and will be easily walked-over rather than attempt to defend his positions. He’s a humble guy, and does what it takes to keep the peace.

Cero’s a trustworthy guy, and you can always count on him to deliver. Following this thread, Cicero won’t lie. Honesty was strictly enforced in his household, and it got to the point where he vowed to maintain straightforward communication and tell the truth. There’s never any doubt whether he follows his own philosophy or not due to the fact that Cero is the worst liar in the world…so you can always tell if he’s lying. But he’s restrained about sharing his opinion – there’s a difference between a lie and an omission in his mind. And some things are best left private.

Hobby-wise, the boy is very artistic. He loves to sing, sketch, and play the guitar. You can always find Cicero with his guitar on good days. Much like the rest of his family, Cicero is stubborn about his views, and although he might concede an argument it will never be because he actually changed his mind. However, he argues his points quietly, and doesn’t get intense about much. He values keeping a calm atmosphere over winning an argument. The boy’s not all sunshine, though. An unfortunate side effect of his long Roman lineage means Cicero can get judgmental at times. It’s a case of nature vs nurture, and he has both working against him in this case…

Cicero is a proud Roman, but not loudly so. He holds a deep pride for his Roman lineage, and is fiercely loyal to Camp Jupiter. He embodies loyalty and dedication, and values fortitude and perseverance above all. His good standing in the legion as a model warrior doesn’t come from any particular natural talent or because he’s the biggest and toughest Roman around. No, Cicero will outlast the threat, outlast his opponent, and persevere until his goal is met. Therein lies his value.

HISTORY

Cicero Torquatus was born and raised in New Rome in a traditional Roman household with traditional Roman views. His mother had served in the legion as every demigod must and moved to New Rome after being discharged. She wanted her children to be well-versed in the world of Roman mythology, and she herself had been a perfect member of the legion in every way that mattered. Cicero himself was conceived shortly before his mother’s nasty divorce from his nasty father, another demigod and former member of the legion.


In the little family Cicero had two older siblings, one of whom stayed with their father and the other to whom he grew very attached. His father was never mentioned, and as Cicero grew older, he learned better than to ask questions the new dynamic of the family.


The boy had a fairly happy childhood, all things considered. His mother was attentive and loving, and prioritized the education and well-being of her children above everything else. Being raised in New Rome meant Cicero was always tuned-in to his heritage, and with expectations that he too would fulfill his obligation to Rome through service in the legion. That would always be a defining aspect of his life – his mother’s strict education that he would need to be the perfect soldier for Rome. Some of his earliest memories include him running through the streets of the city with his friends playing praetors and monsters.


The day that Cicero could finally begin to fulfill his family’s expectations came around at the age of 12. Cero, finally old enough by his mother’s standards to join, journeyed to train with Lupa. There, his training was intensive to the extreme and he received, for the first time, a piece of shocking advice: your worth is not rooted in the mindless obedience of your superiors -- question what you must to determine what is needed.


This was the beginning of a radical change for him. His mother had been the perfect soldier during her time in the legion, and she operated by a strict moral code. Her children had inherited that. But now there was the seed of doubt in his mind. Was everything truly the way she claimed? How much had he taken for granted as true during his upbringing that was perhaps not so? Cicero’s time in the legion reflects this new duality in his life. Cicero is the perfect cog in the well-oiled machine of the legion, excellent at obeying orders, and unforgiving during training. He never lets his personal views become well-known, because he’s determined that sharing them isn’t how he can best serve Rome.


But he began to wonder. About what it meant to be the perfect Roman – not only to be so martial and warlike but also to embody the values of moderation, restraint, and sacrifice. About the Greeks – whether they could only ever be enemies or if there were valuable lessons in innovation and flexibility that the Romans could still learn. And about himself – could he truly be the best soldier for Rome by being only an unquestioning soldier? Or does he still have more to offer the legion by asking these questions?


He’s been private about these doubts, and has only shared his mind sparingly with people he knows he can trust absolutely. And one should never doubt his love and loyalty to Camp Jupiter and New Rome. But those concerns are there. And he wonders.



EXPLANATION OF ABILITY SPECIALTY

Observation: Ever since he was born, Cicero has been extraordinarily observant. He has the ability to pick up new skills from simply observing them performed by others. He’s used this to his advantage in school while learning new subjects, in the legion during weapons training, and in his personal time as he picks up new hobbies. It takes the same amount of time for him to become an expert as for anybody else, but his powers of observation have allowed him to gain basic proficiency at new skills at a faster rate than the average demigod.



OUT OF CHARACTER

Alias: Jenny

Age: 22

Pronouns: She/her/hers

[Suzie X]

Congratulations, legacy of Minerva and Mithras
You have been accepted.
Please make your claims in the One stop claim !