Vaude

It gives me great displeasure to say this, but I'm bowing out of the RP for personal reasons, having little time to spare and fearing that over time I would make everybody wait for longer period of time than even now. Thank you all for the wonderful month (or is it months?) of roleplaying, and I wish you all the best in this magnificent roleplay! Divvying up my few characters between available and deceased, I would like Gau to be available and Ruddy to be either dead or erased from in-roleplay characters' memories. Again, thank you very much for the wonderful experience participating with you all.

I'd be for Kyogre as well. Between excessive rain or excessive lack of rain, I'd opt for maximum hydration. Ooh, Leafeons and Glaceons. Leafeons are perhaps the best Eeveelution for aggressive players because of their high attack properties and Sword Dance. Glaceon is my favourite out of the new ones because one can't go wrong with Ice types and they look pretty darn awesome, but Leafeon is a very close second. Lastly, The Unversed, those are great reasons to love Vaporeons, and I love the moveset for your prime Vaporeon as well! Scald is a phenomenal move that I loved when playing the third generation (Hoenn region) games.

= Noirtier Bonheur = In the back of the assembly of Team Yami grunts and officers stood Noirtier, eyeing the crowd as well as the team leader with an equal amount of interest and caution. He had to give his compliments to Quinirus: he was a very impressive speaker and reined in his populace with a wide set of emotions and leadership. Nevertheless, there was always the chance of a hotshot trying to foil his plans, which is where he came in. One of the appointed major officers, it was his duty to keep order and watch for trouble, and he knew a thing or two about fulfilling duties. He exhaled a sharp breath as his thoughts shifted to his parents, both lost somewhere in the sea of Team Yami members. They were some of Yami's first backers, but they were probably not beside each other, being downgraded to little more than common grunts. They viewed Quinirius as a source of inspiration and benevolence, perhaps even a goal, but what did his parents think of him? Probably the same way, and probably not. They were the greatest reason for him to be within Team Yami, but he was still haunted with his decision to be here, especially with such a grandiose role as being an officer. The people with which he associated inside the organisation were disreputable for the most part, and their actions almost despicable. Power schemes had a way of getting one's hands dirty, and Noirtier did not like that. Nevertheless, he remained as he was, bearing with his conscience or squelching it into the mud. Glancing over the crowd one more time, he saw that nobody raised a hand yet to Quinirus' question, and he concluded that he would not want to raise a hand for it either. He was neither greatly intelligent nor paying no nevermind to do so, and if he ever needed more information it would be through an officer or a tete-a-tete conversation with Quinirus himself. Instead, he continued his duty to keep an eye on everyone, arms crossed and face taciturn.

VAPOREONAMI! RUN FOR COVER OR BE CUTIFIED! I've never had the chance to catch a vanilla Vaporeon, instead having to resort to Eevees and Water Stones, but I love each and every Eeveelution. Out of the originals, Jolteon is my favourite because of extreme versatility (Electric, Bug, Normal, and Fighting in one awesome package), but Vaporeon was a marvelous contender because of the Water/Ice blend and Acid Armor. As for why I love the Espeons, there is a long, long story about that. My first Eevee from Pokemon Crystal changed into an Espeon at Level 15 and I freaked out at its slender beauty, gorgeous eyes in the artwork and sprite, and the split tails that I later realised was a trait for a nekomata or bakeneko. Not only that, but Xsira (still my most commonly used Espeon name to date) proved herself the most useful Pokemon in my party, providing Psychic/Psybeam, Solarbeam, Sunny Day, and Morning Sun, the best skills I could find for her. She aced the Elite Four at Level 60, trashed Red at Level 65 (I think), and earned her status as one of my greatest champions. Beyond my original Xsira, Espeons have long been in my parties unless I was unable to get an Eevee, and if I ever had the chance to get any cat I want it would be an Espeon. In response to the sprites, I agree with everyone else: you are doing a bang-up job with those sprites, Madam Kitty, and please keep up the fantastic work. James, Jynn, Elana, and Kai look especially awesome in my eyes. Lastly, and perhaps very importantly, a post shall be launched forth from my fingertips soon. Please keep tuned for another exciting episode of Noirtier's adventure in . . . er, wait, this is the first post. Never mind.

Thank you kindly, my good man, *bows*. It baffles me why my quote is practically super-condensed, however. Quite weird. I'll attempt a post for Noirtier tomorrow, hopefully sooner rather than later, and I look forward to seeing how this roleplay will turn out!

So . . . much . . . d'awwness! And hey to you as well, mate! I was surprised to see you join a Pokemon roleplay, but then I remembered your unfathomable love for Vaporeons. =P I'm liking the cast of characters, perhaps most notably Kai and Quirinus. I have a passion for rivals and villains, and can imagine quite the few run-ins and battles to see who is superior between Kai and Noirtier. They're even the same age, so a lot of potential opens up. Now, to see if I can make a few Pokemon sheets. Pokemon Character Name: Gervais the Skarmory Team/Occupation: Team Yami Appearance: Traditional colours, with dark grey steel-plated wings, a white-chromed head and body, maroon underfeathers, and talons that are sharper than sharp. The only major difference is the change of eye colour, in that the whites or schlera of the eyes are blue rather than yellow. Personality: Haughty, predatory, and discerning. Bio: Gervais was found on an expedition near Blackthorn City alongside Falkner, a gym leader and a family friend of Noirtier's. Once Noirtier was deemed worthy of being a trainer, Gervais was gifted to him and, after butting heads quite often initially, became a nearly inseparable comrade. They connect well and harbour a friendship, despite their differences, and they can see weaknesses almost at the same time. Pokemon Character Name: Regulator the Houndoom Team/Occupation: Team Yami Appearance: Traditional colours with a charcoal coat of fur; an orange secondary coat that reveals itself the most around the muzzle and underbelly; visible bones that gather along the back, ankles, and a prominent set of horns; piercing red eyes; and a lashing bifurcated tail. Personality: Fierce, protective, and caring. Bio: Caught as a Houndour and raised with a strict but doting rule, Regulator looks up to Noirtier with deep-rooted love and respect. It snarls and barks at people who advance too close to him, ever the protective watchdog, and enjoys spending quality alone time with him, especially when a Frisbee is involved.

I am so down on this, and I know my party too, for the most part. I wish I could use some Eeveelutions without saturating the thread with cuteness, but this will do nicely for me. -- -- -- -- -- Pokémon Trainer Character Name: Noirtier (Noy-tear) Bonheur. Age: 19. Gender: Male. Team/Occupation: Team Yami, but can be recruited to Team Valor. Appearance: With brown hair, darker than dark eyes, a stern look, and an equally brown and neatly trimmed goatee, Noirtier is intimidating even to his comrades. He stands a head or two above his competition at a height of six feet and five inches, looks as shrewd and calculating as he is, and is usually dressed in a trenchcoat woven in a strange but stylish blend of sky blue and brown. Personality: Noirtier does not speak much, and when he does it is predominately in barking commands or talking with his superiors or comrades. He is calculating and thoughtful, usually sizing up his opponent's strength with a gaze, but Team Valor is a huge unknown to him and intrigues him greatly. He is with Team Yami solely because his parents are in the organisation, but he had long been a skilled trainer since he moved away from Johto. Bio: Up until the age of fifteen, Noirtier was native to Johto's Violet Town, a small, rustic place with two main landmarks: the Flying-type gym and a tower. Seeking his licensure for being a trainer and eventually getting it, he managed to adventure all over Johto with a Skarmory and Noctowl, his two earliest companions. His party grew, as did his love for birds, but before he could attempt to visit Johto's Elite Four his journey came to an end with his parents' sudden decision to leave the country. While he no longer lived under their roof, their influence on him was what kept him going. Team Yami is their home now, and whatever doubts he houses with Yami's interests he shelves them for later. He refuses to fight against his parents' will without enough reason. Pokemon Team: Skarmory ♂ (Gervais) Noctowl ♀ (Longing) Houndoom ♂ (Regulator) Scyther ♂ (Dirk) Murkrow ♀ (Sister) Empty Extra Info: - Noirtier has no siblings and often wonders what it would be like to have a younger brother or sister. - He misses being on an adventure and sometimes skirts his duties as an officer to explore. This earns him little respect with his Team Yami peers, but his presence puts them in line. - He cares deeply for his Pokemon's safety, as do they him. - He has a passion for nuts, seeds, and berries, but does not seem to have a sweet tooth or love for meat. -- -- -- -- -- My favourite Pokemon would probably be Espeon or Skarmory. I'll probably add a Pokemon's sheet or two later when I'm not as groggy as I am.

((Draksis the extrasensory? Hoo boy. Ruddy had better get the drop on him while he can before Draksis goes full-on Henry.)) Ruddy was perplexed and impressed. This spiritual suit of armour certainly had its perks if it could view the unseen, or maybe there was a detection spell that he could not perceive. The Aerogas he launched toward Draksis proved useless against the burgeoning dark conical shield, and his slippery aerial maneuver proved equally ineffective with its sly trickiness. However nullified his assault was, he had his rogue-like reflexes to rely on, and Draksis' arm sweep was caught by a pirouetting arm sweep of his own, matching forearm for forearm. Pulling back to a neutral axis from his aileron roll, he glanced behind him and caught Draksis' massive burst of darkness-imbued air, strangely formed by a stomp. He had to learn that trick. Rapidly ascending, he went above most of the burst of air, feeling the bite and staggering effect of sharp turbulent wind. Worse off, however, when the darkness blast reached very close to him he was forced into an ultimatum: to suffer severe damage or to contest strength with strength. Thrusting forth his hands, he sacrificed one of the two duplicated Aerogas stored in his pendant to have enough time to escape the impending darkness wave and lit it with a spark, an explosion rocketing forth. Now safe on the ground, he glowered at Draksis from afar and concentrated on the situation. This guy is not only strong and hideously armoured, but can move limberly and either predict my actions or discern them in an extrasensory manner. If that's the case, I'll use something he can't predict well and wait. The air around him shivered for a moment before he disappeared from sight, the air bending itself and light around him like haze or a mirage without any visible signs. What could be detected was a chiseled absence of earth on the craggy ground, shaped like a javelin. Within the mirage and out of sight, Ruddy levitated the earthen spear with Haste to ensure accuracy, cast Enaero on it to infuse air magic, and thrust it forth with great speed with an Aerora casting, a good majority of the spell's force put solely on the javelin. Once out of the mirage field, the javelin would reveal itself, aiming for Draksis' sword arm's shoulder while Draksis was distracted.

At times like these, I really wish I have played the Monster Hunter games, but I know only of Konchus and their ridiculous actions. For instance: I'll try my best to read up on this lovely series before joining, but you've garnered my interest. What's the basic setting of the RP? Random adventurers confront big baddies in a ragtag, divers group? Are folks competing or surviving? I'd love to hear what you've compiled.

- Osric Relic - Osric was bewildered to see that easily provoked girl come back into the cafe like he asked, but even more so when she came up to their table, slammed down her items in bewilderment, and proceeded to throw the entire table in his direction. Acting on a cautious impulse, he brought his arms close to his head as the table's face fast approached him. Luckily for everyone involved, it bounced against his muscular form back towards its original position, earthen magic kicking in to make him resilient. However, one of the chair's legs beneath him snapped under the weight, and he tumbled to the ground with a splash of nice hot tea on his shirt. Agitated, burning, and deeply unhappy, he rose with a grumble and left Damian, Ashford, and Vera with some parting words. "That does it. The bill's on you. Leave me alone from now on. Y'all are too much trouble." The bell chimed as the door swung open and closed, and Osric headed for home with the sourest of expressions on his face. If anyone were to say anything to him in the cafe, he would choose to ignore it, and if anyone tried to stop him he would shrug them off. ((Perhaps another time would be best to interact with Osric, but if anyone wants their character to try feel free to go ahead.))

- Ruddy Infratel, onlooking and reengaging in battle with Draksis - That vortex . . . it was still active and fed him energy even though I thought I defused it. Next time I'll scatter it to the four winds or burn it with pure oxygen and spark magic. But that form of his--I won't even give him a chance to use it, mulled Ruddy, looking at the hideous dark aura that exuded from Draksis' form. He was both worried and impressed, and if he could lay claim to even a fragment of that power he could imagine what his greatest adversaries would feel -- horror, dread, and insanity as he laid waste to all of their efforts. Finally, after much churning of power, he relinquished his stance and unlocked the seal of his amulet (EX Mode is now on), making spellcasting that much easier and his speed augmented. Rocketing above Draksis' position and shoving forth both hands toward the spirit, Ruddy unleashed twin Aerogas down towards the fell man. If they managed to hit him while he was still stationary, they would strike him square in the shoulders and pin him to his location with bursting explosions of wind magic, maybe even crumple him to the ground under the strong forces. Next, he sped in a clockwise manner towards Draksis' back, thrusting forth his hands to perform another two-handed Enaero palm strike and shave off the armour's joints within the same second. Should everything happen according to plan, his armour would be full of holes and perhaps fall apart should Draksis try to move or counter.

- Osric Relic - "He's caused more than a scene out there," Osric affirmed, keeping his voice low. "Scared me half to death in the process, too, but people are taking note, and it's only a matter of time before the government tries to take matters into its own hands if they know it's a person. They'll bring in an investigation . . . or a round-up." It was known to some in the town that Osric was a conspiracy theorist, seeking out answers to unanswerable questions, but this time he was pretty sure he could be correct. Elemental powers used by the military would be a step in the most devastating of directions, weaponising the seemingly innocuous without a weapon, and Osric hated the idea. The clinking of a teacup beside him reminded him that he ordered another beverage, and nodding his thanks to Natalie earned him a smile as she walked off to other patrons. "Say I do believe we are aliens," he continued, cupping the tea. "What would happen to us? Are you gonna whisk us off to protection or this other planet? What are we gonna say to our families? Will we have any say-so on staying, and if so could you teach on how to control these powers should I ever get them? I've a life here, and I'm comfortable with it without all of . . . this." He sighed, knitting his brow. Why him? Why now? He was starting to get life in order, perhaps getting ready to even ask Natalie out on a date, but these supernatural events decided to rear their heads at a poor moment.

(A thousand apologies if the RP slowed up due to my absence. Brainstorm ACTIVATE!) - Osric Relic - Osric flung his arm in front of his face at the sudden burst of wind, the intensity and power of the burst feeling like twin knives grazing his face. There was no doubt in his face now. He was a thorough believer. Unfortunately, there was more than one eyewitness to Nick's great gust. Cars pulled over or squealed to a halt in the middle of the road, and dozens popped their heads or entire bodies out of buildings to inspect the damage of the sudden windstorm. Glancing over to Nick, it seemed that they had the same reaction: incredulousness and panic. At Nick's worried utterance before fleeing the scene, Osric tried his best to keep a calm face and quietly step back inside the cafe. En route, he found Vera heading outside with a grab bag of goodies and some sort of beverage, and he decided to throw a few words of caution in her way so she too would not fly into a bit of panic. "You might not want to head out here just yet, miss," he said with a mock smile, his face perhaps a little too pale to assure anybody that it was genuine. "A bit blustery this time of year." Gesturing a respectable nod to her, he headed inside and held the door fully open for a moment. A few friendly faces, including Natalie's, were surprised to see him come back in, and more than a number of people asked what was going on outside. "Not to worry, folks. Just a gust, is all, and a few trashcans were knocked into the road, but I have a feeling its still pretty blustery. He chuckled lightly thereafter. "I think I'll get a tea to get rid of the fright I got out there" A few others laughed lightly as well as the roomful of panicked customers regained their composure, and Osric let the door go to close itself as he headed over to Damian and another interesting man sitting next to him. He brushed aside Natalie and asked her for a cup of tea with one sugar before sitting too at Damian's wing. "You, me--we need to talk. Is he with you?" he asked with a nod in Ashford's direction, unsure of the young man.

- Ruddy Infratel, currently fighting Draksis and his pet - Ruddy was caught quite unawares when the shockwave burst forth from the dark vortex. Thankfully he was far enough to not withstand too much injury, but he certainly could have been farther. The corrupting magics left a number of dark burns on exposed skin, whereas on his already ragged cloak he did not suffer any further noticeable damage. "Clever girl," he complimented, grinning through the slight pain as practically the entire world started to fight Draksis and his pet. It was amazing to see one person fend off so many, and the secret to this spiritual form tantalised him so much that he licked his dark-burnt lips. With that kind of power, he could become that much closer to his longtime goals of perfection and true immortality. Even twelve centuries of on-and-off fighting experience could not match the damage such a man, if he can still be considered a man, was able to wield. Shortly thereafter, the dragon let fly one or both of its assailants -- it was difficult to tell at the distance and with the white teddy bear (Mog) matching the sky--and launched a menacing fireball in his direction. Not much could have been done regarding them, but the fireball was easy to deal with. Utilising the enhanced speed and levitation, he sped from the ground and into the air with a rush of wind, spiralling away from the fireball at a frenzious pace. Once the fireball had struck the ground, he twirled mid-flight to launch a swift, powerful gust of wind to counteract some of the explosion, or at least push the majority (all of it in his case) away from him and some of the others. He needed them alive to get to Draksis, and to get to Draksis to ascend to near godhood. In the meantime, he prepared to activate the charm around his neck once more, another short burst of energy to use Enaero again and disrupt Draksis' armour, or maybe Kalameet's dragon scales if it weren't impervious to imperiling spells. Magic poured into his amulet swiftly as his concentration built, one hand on it and the other pointing up to the sky in hipster fashion. It would take some time to focus, but he hoped his actions would be less visible to both assailants now that he was airborne.

Yay! Also, hurricane-level gusts and water swords! Air is my favourite classic element, and I love seeing it utilised, and the water sword reminds me of the Sword of Gith, a sword made of liquid metal from Dungeons & Dragons lore. A link below would show it.

Delayed response, but sorry for the slowdown. I was busy for the weekend and unable to post for a while until I cleared my head of all sorts of harrowing and lovely things. Don't worry, folks; they didn't intermix.

- Ruddy Infratel, currently fending off Draksis with the armies of Cosmos and Chaos traitors - Ruddy ground against the harsh, rocky terrain, miffed that his plan hideously failed to act against the spiritual presence of his shadowy adversary. He rose with a huff and found that the battlefield had changed: where there was once one enemy there were now two, and a shadow dragon at that. Ruddy cursed his luck. Now he was up against a creature with both of his least favourite attributes: (1) it was a dragon, and (2) it had dark magic. "Thanks, mate and fey creature, but I don't require help or healing. Not right now, anyway," Ruddy commented whimsically towards Ven and the little fairy that plopped on his shoulder. "Others need your assistance while I deal with this troublesome thing." He pointed towards the vortex Draksis had made beforehand. " 'Tis time to crush this maelstrom!" With Draksis concentrating his ill intent on the rest of Cosmos' party of heroes and even some of the traitors of Chaos, Ruddy piled most of his concentration on the dark, swirling vortex. He feared that the worst it would do would not be drain everyone's energy but Draksis' own, but rather explode in a violent manner or feed Draksis to greater levels of power, and with everyone focused elsewhere it would be good to defuse. With sharp, swift sweeping motions (after depositing the fairy somewhere safe, Ruddy used a technique called Cleaving Arms of the Windfolk, an antiquated battle dance of sizable strength if uninterrupted and more of a call to arms to the air of the world than actual magic. Great currents of wind sliced through the corruptive vortex, either disrupting it from feeding for a short time or nullifying its effects. Furthermore, he used Pounding Palm of the Windfolk, which slammed the dark energies into the ground where it would not harm anyone. He glanced down to his hand, beads of sweat dotting his brow from the exertion of the battle dance. He remembered why it was considered archaic: it was more draining physically than magic would from his reserves. Nevertheless, it was effective, and probably would be beneficial in the end. After all of that, he laced together Haste and Float spells so that he could fly at great speeds, if need be. Draksis or his pet might have taken notice of his actions, and it was imperative to keep a low profile so that he and the others could take down both. - Gau, currently with Locke near Melmond - Gau walked on with Locke beside him, the path trailing on and on as daybreak illuminated the world. The youth felt discouraged at the thought and imagined it would be far better to take the needles out now rather than wait, but the shrill intensifying sound of a teleportation or warp cut short his mental processes. Out of a portal stepped a young woman with a long, resplendent robe tore out of a portal with a face somewhere between fear and calm. Gau did not know what to do, scratching his bushy head of hair with his free hand. After some thought, he turned towards Locke thinking that he would be better at understanding this predicament and said loudly, "Uwao, look, Locke! A girl! You think she would help us or we should help her? She came through air, so maybe need help."

- Osric Relic - Osric kept silent as he observed the two men converse, nodding along with Nick's rebuttals and chuckling under his breath as Damian performed his water trick on another individual. However, it greatly surprised him that Damian knew about Nick being around the dumpster that was all over the news, and the little act with the coffee was better than last time and a little more difficult to discern whether it was magic or trickery. Perhaps there was some truth to this old codger's tale, or at least more than met the eye. Pocketing the phone number that Damian handed to him, he watched as the elderly chap followed a pretty girl--probably Vera, he thought--trudged away, halted for a moment in deliberation, climbed the well-travelled steps, and entered the cafe once more. Osric shook his head, wondering how many people were in an imaginary line waiting for Damian to reveal his big news. "Nick, right? I'm sorry you were wrapped up in this. This kook's probably off his rocker more than he realises, but answer me honestly: do you really think you have reins on the wind or powers of any kind? If so, maybe there's more out there than I know, and, well"--he chuckled, scratching his ear--"I'll admit it'll be pretty sweet to have powers, minus the tights. Too bad I'd be an alien."

Agreed; no worries at all, as I thought it was of a similar premise and had my character entirely geared towards armoursmithing. Also, very interesting; he seems rather similar to one of your characters from Ashes (Jynn, I think it was). I look forward to having Osric interact with Ash later on!

"You'd be one for free-for-alls, wouldn'tja?" Ruddy commented with a grin, his coldfire gladius once again flaring to life with blue laps of energy as Draksis pressed the attack with abundant lashes. Parrying the first and fourth blows and dodging the second and third with his rogue-like reflexes, he felt comfortable with the situation. The armoured man seemed to greatly favour aggression in comparison to defense, but that armour served as enough of a deterrent to a blade without much limitations. Moreover, Draksis had a command over the dark magic that he had never seen before, and the seismic shockwave--a surprising move--made his footwork unsteady but failed to knock the man backward. Shortly thereafter, he was snared from behind, spiritual arms wrapping around his waist and limiting his movements. He half-expected the armoured Draksis to take advantage of this, but the swordsman failed to move or even react. Halfway through the German suplex, he calculated that the ensnaring arms were indeed Draksis' and prepared a nasty trick of his own. Using great dexterity, Ruddy did two things: he lowered his hand to the ground and provided an upwards-pushing air current to help him from a potentially dangerous wrestling move, and he used his other hand to propel him and the spirit around his body further away from the suit of armour. The result would be both Ruddy and the spirit grazing the hard ground for a short amount of time, hopefully with the spirit taking more injuries than he would, as it was unsheltered. It would additionally--at least hopefully--move Draksis' armour back as well, being a relatively strong gust. (In short, Ruddy wants to use Draksis' spirit body as a toboggan as he blasts his way away from Draksis' armoured body. I don't know how effective this would be on a spirit, but if he's tangible this might be clever.)

- Osric Relic - Osric was admittedly impressed by the man's tenacity. Damian had an assured look and sound tethered to him like few other madmen out there, but what made Osric shudder was the thought that he was not insane or even a dabbler in party magic. The orb of coffee certainly looked convincing, especially how the heat rose from it. Looking down at his half-eaten pancakes, he wondered exactly what he should do. Should he take the man up on his offer after his plate, or should he bolt for the back door and avoid being spotted by this Damian fellow? It would be a waste of two perfectly good blueberry pancakes and a glass of milk either way should he abandon them to Natalie, so he packed in some bites aided by boysenberry syrup, drained his cup, placed five dollars' worth of check and tip, and rose to his feet. There, he settled with his decision. If Damian spoke the truth and knew someone with control over wind or maybe showboat some more of his powers, maybe--and that was a big maybe--there was some truth to his claim. Paying a word of thanks to Natalie, Osric left the cafe with the bell attached to the door jingling behind him, finding Damian in the front with his coffee, as dictated. "So," he started, burly arms crossing over his chest, "where's this wind fellow to be found?"

Aww, thanks, my main man! It came with a lot of creative writing. Lo-o-ots of creative writing.

- Osric Relic - Osric looked up from his pancakes with a look of disgruntlement, not recognising the man in front of him and not caring to know a perfectly good stranger over breakfast, but something about Damian screamed that Osric had to listen to him. He listened intently, questioning the man's sanity more and more as the conversation went on, but when the orb leapt forth from the coffee and levitated in the air like a raindrop in standstill Osric almost sprang to his feet. He attracted attention from many within the diner, the sound of conversation and clattering silverware and plates dying to the newest low and Osric's waitress and crush Natalie looking up in surprise. As soon as he returned to his seat and answered a few "Are you okay?" questions, everything returned to normality, the most of all being the orb. He listened with a bit more of an eager ear as Damian continued, eyes searching the man in cautious analysis before replying to his question. "Elements . . . like those in the TV shows and comics? Fire, earth, and air and all that, and you think I'm like you and from a different planet?" He scoffed, unsure of how to react any differently and knitting his brow. "Being special, I can understand. Heck, we're all unique, but not everyone's special, but never did I think of myself as Kal-El with earth powers." He looked up into Damian's eyes with a mixed expression trapped between amused laughter and distrust. "Sorry, man, but this is unreal. I'm nobody of interest. You've a neat trick, but it'll take more than that to prove anything you've said." (Osric needs an additional push. His sense of reality and fiction is rather firm and not very homogeneous, but Nick or the possibility of Damian showing off his powers to a greater degree would definitely make him a believer. As for his latent earth powers, he probably does not know of it yet, or his mind buried it deep within his subconscious to save his sanity. Maybe contact with a Water bandsman would jog his memory, having an affiliation with healing.)

- Osric Relic - "Seven, eight . . . nine . . . ten." Osric strained against the barbell, pushing it up on his third and final set of fifteen. Sweat beaded on his brow as his muscles only barely agreed to lift a weight of 220 lbs, his anticipated goal for the end of the season, but it was more challenging than he anticipated. "Eleven . . . twelve." His muscles burned as he continued to strive towards the end of the set, his hands wedged into bent-in metal strangely grooved and contoured to match his hands. He had not recognised it until a few weeks ago, but he concluded after much internal debate that it was not his physical strength that did that but rather always was there to service people in proper hand placement. "Thirteen . . . fourteen . . . fif--" Now his muscles were on fire, and Osric strove wildly to get them moving again as he reached the halfway point between his chest and a full rise of the barbell. His body locked up and his mind contested with the body's mismatching will. With a primal shout, he summoned enough energy to lift the bar all the way up and placed it on the rack, his breath laboured but the taste of victory sweet. "Fifteen," he voiced quietly, lying on the bench for several minutes before deciding to move. He looked at the clock and, realising that he had not had breakfast just yet even though it was nearing 11 o'clock, decided to head out for brunch. With a wipe of a towel and a splash of refrigerated water down his throat, both of which came from the mini-fridge within the room, he left the room and locked it behind him. Osric had no idea that the bar was bent inwards a little more after his workout session. The day was beautiful outside. Everything was lively and cheerful, and he could hear the nearby church bell chime its hourly toll. Having the day off, Osric enjoyed a breath of freedom and strolled towards the cafe on the other side of town, a local hotspot and the source of everybody's favourite pancakes. As much as he loathed to admit it, Osric loved pancakes, especially with blueberry syrup, and that was just what he was going to get. He glanced around at the town, looking at the neighboring buildings he recognised only too well. There was the primary school, the police department, the fire department, and the church in all of their rustic charm. Nestled near the church, however, was an alleyway with an oddity he did not previously see, and he had to return to the mouth of the alley to understand what it was. It was a homeless man, or at least it seemed that way, unblanketed and probably uncomfortable. Osric felt sorry for him and wondered if he could do anything for him, but he had little in his pockets and little time to spend. After a few seconds of thought, he did what pretty much everybody else would do: he continued walking. It was cruel and selfish, but he knew nothing of the man and did not want to wake him of his agitated slumber. Maybe next time he passed by he would present him with a sheet of some sort, or maybe a blanket from his parents' attic. The man deserved that much, perhaps even a hot meal, but with five dollars in his pocket it was either Osric or that homeless man who would eat. It was easier to turn a blind eye and wait, and so he did.

Ruddy Infratel, now fighting Draksis and Genesis Frowning as his two allies turned their swords on him from a slight suggestion, Ruddy pulled out his own blade, the coldfire steel awakening in a blaze of blue and shunting every strike Genesis threw at him. "Senseless idgot. Like an easily persuaded child, like palmed putty, you played into the enemy's hands when I meant no ill towards Fairy Boy over there." Again, he lied about his proposition, but turning without question was an act he was not liable to forgive readily. Genesis needed a bit of punishment, and with Draksis still in the game, wearing his original armour this time and surging forward, he could probably shift things in his favour. Sometimes in a two-on-one battle, tides can be turned by one ally getting in the way of another, and without having to squander too much magic. As soon as Draksis unleashed his crescent energy slash, Ruddy parried Genesis' last attack by turning away his sword at an awkward angle, hopefully exposing the man in red to a chop to the neck (one without enough energy to knock Genesis out, but enough to make him gasp for air). Wasting little time, he pulled his hand back to his side, twirled around Genesis, and was about to rocket forth with a gust of wind before Draksis attempted his horizontal slash. That was horrendously unexpected and caught Ruddy majorly off-guard, and he spun his sword quick enough to blunt some of the energy, but not all. Ruddy, with his foothold weak and his block light, was knocked off his feet and sent backward, crashing to the ground hard. While injured, he still had some satisfaction with his actions. Genesis, probably got struck by the darkness orbs and, with less of a chance, maybe the crescent slash, reducing the threat of a second assailant considerably. If Genesis dodged all of that, Ruddy used no magic and remained intact from a double assault, even as he shakily got to his feet with a grimace of pain. He stored enough energy for two Aeros for whatever they will do next, and that, in time, might be a game changer. (In short, Ruddy parried Genesis' attacks, got close enough to try to neck chop him enough to make him stationary, and spun behind him to avoid the darkness orbs and crescent slash sent out by Draksis to probably get Genesis hit by them instead. Ruddy failed to block Draksis' final heavy slash and bounced away on the ground before getting back up, bruised and battered but with nothing broken and no skin cut. I hope this makes sense to you guys, as my wording can be odd and my dictating where my character is not always good.)