Quest for the Crystals [O/C*][Fantasy, Adventure, Lit RP]

[Sheezur Cannoli]

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tab Ｖｏｉｃｅｄ Ｂｙ: Majima Junji
tab Ｌｏｃａｔｉｏｎ: The Campsite
tab Ｃｏｍｐａｎｙ: All of the Espers
tab Ｆｅｅｌｉｎｇ: Pissed off.
tab ＯｏＣ: N/A
tab Layout created by Cynosural Cataclysm tab ┘



For the most part, all of the Espers were now back in the campsite; the only one that was missing was Alvain, who he had assumed had wandered off to compose himself after his earlier breakdown. Well, I should state that by 'all of the Espers', I mean the current ones. This doesn't equate to all of the Espers who started off the Quest with them, as both Xeniel and Eirik were gone. And when he asked about Celeste and Zari and if they're worth feeding, he received three answers at nearly the same time. "I don't think anyone should be going back into the woods. Especially alone." This was very fair: With Damir hurt, Nate didn't exactly have anyone to watch his back while they collected more meat. They would have to make due for now. "Are you for real? No. We're not feeding a bandit. An-" While he didn't like to agree with Alencia, she made a valid point. There was no reason to feed an outsider who had just stumbled upon them. Though that still left questions about Celeste."Eight. There are only eight. Two members of your group are no more. One eliminated, the other presented herself to be a false savior." Eliminated? False Savior? And the fact that the bandit stated that the savior was a 'she'... "You mean Xeniel, don't you. Huh." Nate moved a bit backwards so he could lean himself on a near by tree while he tried to let the information sink in. Eirik was gone, and Xeniel had faked being an Esper? For as long as he's known her, he would have never pegged her to do something like that. Though in the end, she was an enigma that he never was able to understand. I suppose she had a reason for doing it in the end."Her execution is to be fulfilled tomorrow. I believe the 'Fire Esper' was what she claimed herself to be." Well, he was right about that much. She did claim herself to be the Fire Esper, but she never exactly proved that she had the powers. Then again, No one had exactly shown off their powers yet, had they? Other than seeing Damir's in action, he had no reason to believe anyone else. "Who's to say any of us aren't false saviours, though? I mean other than Damir, whom I watched taking down a bear with his powers, I have no proof that any of you are Espers."

Of course, Nate knew that if he wanted to the others to prove it, he had to at least prove to them that he was an Esper as well. "I figure since I'm the one asking, I should at least go first as far as proving my powers goes." Simply pointing out that he had healed Damir of his wounds wasn't an option: for all they knew, he was knocked out without any other noticeable injuries. Nate took his knife back out from its sheathe, and walked over to the the fire in the middle of the camp in order to sterilize the blade. He had cleaned it off before, but after digging it into the body of a bear, he knew that water wasn't enough to clean it fully. Fire killed all impurities, much like silver. "As you know, I've claimed myself to be the Light Esper. The markings are adorned all over my arm, from my hand to my elbow." Nate showed off his left forearm to everyone in the camp. "I will now demonstrate my healing abilities that come with being the Light Esper." Taking the sterilized Hunting knife in his left hand, Nate took his knife and pressed it against his right arm, before slowly slicing across his arm. Nate winced a bit in pain, as you would imagine someone would if they had just made a clean, somewhat shallow laceration across their brachioradialis. He then went over to Damir to grab his Canteen. " I hope you don't mind me borrowing this." Nate opened the canteen and poured some of the water on it to clean the blood from the wound. With the blood washed away, The wound was visible, and was clearly closing up at a rather alarming rate. While I do say 'Alarming', I don't mean instantly. Starting from the edges of the cut, the wound was starting to close up and was slowly vanishing. Within a minute of making the insertion, the wound was completely gone. "Hopefully, that's enough of a demonstration. Who's next?"


Nate was actually pretty surprised by his powers. His original intention was to close the wound using his magic, but it seemed that due to his nature as the Light Esper, his body was able to recover from wounds at a rather quick rate. no demonstration of his magic was neccessary. He was a bit lucky, I guess. Though now it was everyone else's turn to prove it. First was Presea, who actually didn't even need to be asked to do it in the first place. She actually used hers to teleport over to the tree where Damir was."...Okay, so that's three people who I know for a fact are Espers." Not too long after that, Alvain appeared from out of the forest and nearly toppled over Alencia. "Augh! Wh-why does it smell like... like...blood? What in the world is going on? Who is the stranger? And why... why is there a dead animal on the ground?" He was clearly confused by the situation they were all in. Luckily, Presea was there to sort it all out. "Here's the quick version: Xeniel was a fake, that's Celeste. I'll vouch that she's the real deal, otherwise we wouldn't have that fire." Presea had pointed out the new girl to Alvain. Nate was actually pretty curious about her, but if Presea, who had prover herself to be an Esper could vouch for her, then he would believe she was one as well. That's now four confirmed Espers for Nate. "That one, though... he claimed to be the Earth Esper. Says Eirik died. You were out in the forest, correct? Did you see anything?" While the answer was clearly aimed at Alvain, it was Evee who was the first to answer her. "I found his weapon. I looked everywhere, but...." His weapon was found, but Eirik was clearly gone. At least, that's what Nate was getting from Evee's answer.

"Though, it wouldn't surprise me if other one did die. Absolutely useless." ... What? Alencia's words when referring to the possible death of Eirik were cold. Really, really cold. In fact, all of that anger that he held for Alencia was coming back to him in waves. Useless? How could she, of all people, call him useless? What did she even do for this group other than shout at them? If anything, she was the weak link here. "...should probably do something with that before the worms and bugs get to it." Evee was trying to distract everyone's attention away from Alencia. Or at least, that how it felt for Nate. Maybe she knew that he would react badly to something like this? I mean, he did promise her he wouldn't get involved, but. "Maybe in the morning we can go back and see if the forest left anything of the bear for the rest of our journey." Nate has snapped. His fists were clutched tightly as he started to walk over to Alencia slowly. "Alencia... could you repeat what you said about Eirik again?" "... your new earth esper. I do hope I am allowed a portion. I have not indulged since yesterday. May I?" Nate stopped for a a second and turned to 'The New Earth Esper. "You touch that meat before you prove you're an Esper and I'll cut your fingers off."

Nate turned back to Alencia's direction before quickening his pace. "... I asked you a question. What. Did you say. About Eirik?"At this point Nate was about to fly into a full blown rage. As a kid, Nate was prone to doing so, considering he was picked on a lot as a kid. Other than being a b*****d, it was probably another big reason he didn't have friends as a child. "You better watch your ******** mouth when you speak ill of the dead." Nate grabbed Alencia by the collar of her shirt and lifted her up about eight inches off the ground so that she and Nate were at eye level with each other. This sort of attitude was totally unbecoming of a Light Esper,but someone needed to teach this 'Queen' that her Kingdom was merely a pile of nothing, and her 'Subordinates' were actually the gods she should pray to in times of catastrophe. "You're as 'useless' as you say that he was, you stuck up b***h. You did absolutely nothing but huff around the campsite while everyone else did something to help. So maybe before judging someone based on the fact that disagree with you, you should take a long look at yourself and decide who's actually in the wrong in these situations." Nate let go of Alencia, dropping her on the ground before walking back over to the bearskin and meat. "I really hope you and I don't have this type of talk again. If we have to, next time I won't be so nice."

[sorry squids]

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✘✘ DOING: hn... ✘ WHERE: dunno... ✘ WITH: ...? ✘ MOOD: ugh... ✘dundun

it hurt it hurt it hurt it hurt it hurt it hurt it hurt it felt like his arms were on fire it hurt why were there so many red dots in his vision so many dot dot dot dots and it felt like he was burning up why does it hurt it hurt it hurt it hurt -

Remaining conscious was not a simple task, even when receiving desperate top priority. All his senses were warped, hardly allowing him to draw in anything beyond this hurts this hurts this hurts this hurts. Nathaniel was somewhere above him but it was hard to pinpoint where - he could have been up amongst the clouds and Damir wouldn't have been able to tell he difference. His rushed words didn't sound like words, and Damir only caught clips of the scoldings between times he was trying to inhale any oxygen, and he processed even fewer. "... I told you not... Throw caution to the... Never... again, okay..." The Light Esper only got another groan of pain in response - well, it was less like a response and more like the sound Damir happened to be producing when Nathaniel had finished talking. Damir was thoughtless with his speech on his best days, but he couldn't really think of actual words right now, much less get his teeth and tongue to form even a monosyllabic response. s**t, it all hurt, his arms hurt, his stomach hurt, his head was starting to hurt, too, it was all pain and he knew somewhere that Nathaniel saying something that may have been scolding but it was so hard to tell when his nerves were all scolding him much, much more loudly.

For the most part, Damir faded in and out while Nathaniel did his own work. He'd wanted to stay awake, so he'd made a very valiant attempt at it, but instead his consciousness floated about, occasionally catching clips of faraway sound that seemed to be the voice of hunting companion. If Nathaniel spoke, there was only a small chance of Damir hearing it, and likely he'd remember nothing at all following his recovery. At some point, he felt a warm light move towards his arm, and initially he twitched away from it, instinctually wary of anything of remotely higher temperature near his burns. After a few moments, the pain started to dissipiate, leaving only coolness. Damir's breathing evened considerably as the feeling of relief flooded through him, and then pure exhaustion after that. Unable to even pretend to be awake any longer, soon enough he simply fell into the blackness.

...

The sensation of a small drop as he was deposited by the tree jolted his conscious, but he was far, far from awake. Just as he had while Nathaniel had healed his wounds, he felt as if he were drifting about, not giving the world outside any attention. He slumped against the wall, or whatever it was, more or less asleep for what it was worth, not particularly thinking of anything. His senses were dulled, his eyes shut, taking in outside information was near impossible. First thing he found himself understanding was his stomach. Or the inside of his stomach. Perhaps the outside - he was never one for biology. Wherever in the stomach area it was coming from, it hurt. Hunger. This was hunger, a cry for one of those basic things humans needed. Where was food? In this state, he wasn't even moving, much less ready to go searching for food, but he was so hungry...

The sound of something faraway eventually him, some sort of discussion amongst other living creatures. He caught quotes in snatches but, as he had only met most of these people earlier that day, none of the voices were familiar enough that he could identify them. Persons A, B, C, holding a discussion he couldn't comprehend in his current state, merely saying words that likely held meaning to people who were not him. "So, I only brought back enough meat for about eight people..." Vaguely tired, but a strong voice, someone male. "I don't think anyone should be going back to the woods." Light, pleasant, level-headed, easy to listen to. "As for the second man, I think some bandit." A harsher voice, though feminine, with irritation lacing each syllable. "There are only eight. Two members of your group are no more." Another male, lighter in tone and very casual with his speech. Whatever they were disputing, Damir didn't understand the words fast enough to consider the conversation. All he could hear of it were incoherent noises, talking of matters for which he had no context and lacked the conscious required to figure it out. It was almost like they were speaking some foreign language he'd heard in his youth, just familiar enough but not quite comprehensible - if he was fully awake, it would have been frustrating to listen to. Soon enough, he drifted out again, the voices becoming mere vague echoes, then nothing.

When he came too once more, there was something warm against his chin. Skin. That was skin. That was skin on his face, and moment later he identified the skin as a hand. There was somebody close by. Just as he had correctly deduced that information, the soft feeling disappeared and replaced itself with a harsh jab, fingers pressing against his cheekbone in a way that was not at all comfortable. "Wake up, sleepy baby..." The words were faint, spoken under breath by a voice quiet and tense. To him it sounded like the words were missing most of their vowels, leaving him with another incomprehensible jumble of letters he was far too tired to decipher. The next time the shadowy voice spoke, it was harder, more solid. "Lightning Kid, now is not the time for sleep. Get up." He groaned faintly at the order - very faintly, likely inaudibly faintly. His voice wasn't missing, per se, but somewhere near the top of his throat any sound died out. It appeared that, to go with his extreme hunger, he was desperately in need of something like water. He was now in possession of enough mental faculties to remember that, at some point, there had been a canteen mostly full of water on his person, but he was far from able to remember if it still was. He would have to search for it, soon, maybe while they ate. Slowly, his eyes finally opened for the first time since he'd come back to camp, just barely. Everything was blurry, dim, hard to make out, it really was not worth keeping his eyes open for more than a couple seconds.

Shadow Girl, he belatedly identified the source of the order, and likely the jab at his face. It was the Shadow Esper, the young woman he had identified earlier as "the curiosity." What was she doing here? Speaking of which, where was here? Ignoring the discussion that went on, he deduced, from the feeling against his head, that he was up against a tree. Well, there were many of those around here, so that was very useless. He tried one more time trying to utilize his sense of sight, and he scanned over the camp with half-lidded eyes. It was dark, and he counted six silhouettes among them, some close and some farther off by the source of the light. The Shadow Esper was by far the closest to him, and he noticed the flickering light glint off of her bladed weapons. Weapons...? She appeared fully prepared to fight someone off. Precisely what need was there for that? Were they - no, wait, that was a fire. Camp. They were at camp. Oh. Okay. Okay. That's why everyone was collected. Okay. Exhaling a breath, he started pushing dark bangs from his face, and paused as his fingertips brushed pass his ear. He certainly wasn't working at his best, but he was awake enough to know that he shouldn't have a large nick in his ear, like something had sliced into the cartilage. He blinked and felt at it a little more, and the dried blood on his skin and clumping in his hair confirmed its existence further. He poked at a couple other spots on his face to check for anything out of place, but it was only his ear. When did that happen? The bear? He certainly recalled the existence of the bear. If there was anything that could have cut his ear open, it would have been a bear, right? That story sounded about right - and for now he could only approximate any sort of story. His memory of anything following "I immediately regret this decision, Damir!" was only present in disjointed parts. A knife in the haunches, a distraction plan, something about the river... Why did he need the river? Had he been so dehydrated when fighting the bear that he had been looking for it then, too? No, couldn't be... He shook his head - Nathaniel should have the full story, right? He could ask... wherever Nathaniel was... That was -

The sound of a human crashing against the ground drew his attention, startling him enough that he jumped. In a display of grace befitting a bird dying in midair, Alvain emerged through the trees and fell right to the ground, even nearly taking one of the other silhouettes with him. Damir stayed still as Alvain squeaked out a series of questions, and the nobleman was perhaps the only person here as confused than the Lightning Esper himself. "Augh! Wh-why does it smell like... like...blood? What in the world is going on? Who is the stranger? And why... why is there a dead animal on the ground?" There was a dead animal on the ground? Where? What was he talking about? Perhaps it was merely all the darkness only broken by the fire that seemed so far away, but Damir couldn't find anything resembling a dead animal. Ugh, everything was so confusing, why couldn't everyone be clear about what they were speaking of?

The Shadow Esper, to whom he suddenly felt very grateful, did just that. "Here's the quick version: Xeniel was a fake, that's Celeste, I'll vouch that she's the real deal, otherwise we wouldn't have that fire." Celeste? Hearing the name of someone so familiar, he looked over their heads again, and could imagine that one of the silhouettes by the fire was in fact his friend. So Xeniel was lying... Of everything, he was perhaps most willing to accept that story easily since, primarily, he trusted Celeste to be the Fire Esper if she had said so. "That one, though, he claimed to be the Earth Esper. Says Eirik died." Eirik? Dead? There was no way - he looked too strong for that. Surely he couldn't have - wait, who was it claiming to be the Earth Esper? Now that he looked with working eyes, he didn't recognize Eirik's head among them. It must be... the supposed bandit, that one closest to Nathaniel. Was he seriously? "As for the dead bear, ask the sleepy pup whenever he comes around. Betcha he has a better explanation than I do. Supposedly it's dinner, but I'm not too convinced it's edible..." "If it wasn' edible, we wouldn't've hunted it," he said with a clumsy tongue, neglecting to understand the sleeping pup remark was referring to him. Although the our-dinner-will-be-damn-great grin he offered the Shadow Girl was completely genuine, exhaustion still lined his features and tinged his voice. Ha, back home if he had gotten himself hurt doing something like falling out of a tree, people would say he "looked like he'd fought a bear" - he'd perhaps use the phrase himself a little more sparingly from now on. Still, hearing of the dead bear, he felt a sense of relief for a worry he'd forgotten about when... when something had knocked him out. Whatever that was.

He relied heavily on the tree for support as he stood, and leaned against it for a couple moments longer, eager to get himself moving again. He felt not-sore, like he should have been sore and his muscles moved as if they were sore but something had prevented the soreness from setting in. Well, then that should be fine. In the faint firelight, some discoloration on his wrist caught his eye. Blackness, particularly on the underside, from where his skin had charred. Staring at it, he winced slightly as the memory of his lightning powers sparked in his mind - particularly, the memory of the pain that had followed the lightning powers. So, that was another thing to know. He'd used lightning, and a lot of it, more than he had with the quail, and it left him burnt. Right. Okay. Okay. For now, he should just find Nathaniel, or even Evelyn -

"You better watch your ******** mouth when you speak ill of the dead." Well, he was surprisingly easy to locate, mostly because he was very angry, very hostile, and currently threatening another person - Alencia, who had said something, probably. Saying something seemed to be just a thing she did regularly. "Hey, Nathaniel!" His throat was dry and his voice somewhat scratched from dehydration, but the name came out clearly. He stumbled forward, quick to keep the two from starting a real scuffle. Sure, he didn't like Alencia, but he didn't hate her quite yet, and he didn't want either of them fighting. His steps grew stronger as he moved forward, and he arrived at the Light Esper's side just as he set the woman down. "Hey, what'd she do?" he asked, having not heard what it was Alencia had said. Still, he sounded quite concerned - more for Nathaniel and his current state than Alecnia, but concerned. "Look, she's a crazy b***h, yeah, but let's just eat - everyone here is hungry and tired, even that guy, probably." He gestured in the general direction of whatever-his-name-is, the supposed new Earth Esper. Whatever his story, Esper or bandit or whatever other theory had been formed, Damir certainly didn't mind feeding him for the night. "Ah, by the way," he added, moving away from anything about Alencia and her terrible attitude. "Everything with the bear turned out fine, right? You're all right? My memory's a little off right now..." He wore a faint smile, innocent and sheepish, and he even laughed slightly as if his fuzzy memory - and more specifically its cause - wasn't a problem. Well, to him neither were a problem, anyways. "And... d'you know where I put my stuff? I need my canteen," he said, suddenly reminded by the sting in throat reminded that he was in fact in deep need of some water. His pendant, the half-carved one, was still with him - hopefully it wasn't as burned as he had been.


✘ ✘ ✘ ✘ ✘ ✘

[Fading Apprehension]

Celeste stretched, pushing her hands against the ground and moving to her knees to better watch the situation unfold. The prickling heat that plagued her hands had spread to her entire body and intensified, pulling her mind from the edges of anxiety and curiosity into a full blown whirlwind. The man, whom Presea had forced to submit under the pressure of her blades, managed to smile up at his female aggressor. Whomever he was he definitely had moxie. To display such a nonchalant attitude in the face of danger he either had to have a brilliant follow-up plan or complete disregard for his own life. In her own experience the second option usually came at the expense of mental soundness, providing for a variety of unpredictable situations. 'At least if he decides to murder us all it will be quick.' As unlikely as that particular outcome was the Esper of Fire couldn't help but entertain it, after all, she had allowed herself to dwell on stranger thoughts through the course of the evening. The intensity of their exchange had died down with every comment. Celeste was sure she could see their features twitching in a way that indicated speaking but she found it impossible to hear over the sound of the blood rushing through her head in a steady rhythmic pounding.

"Are you for real? No. We're not feeding a bandit. An-" The vocalization had caused Celeste's amber gaze to snap back onto the Water Esper. She had moved since their exchange and was now sitting atop the log that she had been perched upon when Celeste first entered the clearing. It was mildly alarming to Celeste that she had been so enveloped in the entrance of the supposed Earth Esper that she had completely missed the movement. Any trace of the uncharacteristic meekness that Alencia had displayed was long since gone. "I don't think anyone should be going back into the woods. Especially alone." Evelyn's airy voice had almost been lost beneath Alencia's objection. "Eight. There are only eight. Two members of your group are no more. One eliminated, the other presented herself to be a false savior." The Earth Esper offered his own knowledge to the group as he separated himself from Presea's grip. The girl was reluctant to let him go, matching his movements with her own advances and watching him with her steady gaze. Whatever he had said during their exchange, it had not been enough to quell the Esper of Shadows fears. "Her execution is to be fulfilled tomorrow. I believe the Fire Esper was what she claimed herself to be." The male continued speaking in a matter-of-fact fashion while he strolled toward the bloody pile of meat and fur near Nate's feet. "You mean Xeniel, don't you? Huh." Nate took a step backward, a moment passed before Celeste realized that this was the first time the man had heard of the fake Esper's fate. It was hard to read his facial features in the dim lighting but he seemed as blindsided as the others had been, perhaps even a little disbelieving.

"Well, I guess if anything you're solidifying Celeste's story. No matter how foolish it sounds." Upon hearing this Celeste shot Alencia a pointed glare. Attractive, tyrannical queen or not she expected a little more respect from the people who had seen her naked. Hell, she had even gotten a dinner or two out of such arrangements when she was a thrill-seeking youth. She huffed, looking away from the girl as her eyes rolled onto the Esper of Earth. Presea had disappeared from his side, now attending to Damir who continued to lay lifelessly against the trunk of the tree. 'When did she get over there?' Celeste's confusion was overpowered by the relief that Presea was now tending to the boy, her hands moving with a gentleness that both warmed her heart and caused her to want to look away as to offer the two privacy. The thought that Presea played the roles of both a fierce defender and caring friend reminded her of herself, and brought a feeling of calm to the woman. She was proving to be someone she was happy to have as an ally.

"Mmm... this is bear, no?" The intruder had a strange way of speaking. It was a trait that settled her nerves but for reasons she couldn't completely explain. The man leaned forward and sniffed at the meat, displaying a greater bravery than Celeste. She had noticed the strange man's tone changing from one of agitation to one of not-so-subtle interest as he locked eyes with and addressed the Esper of Light. 'Maybe instead of killing us all he'll just kidnap Prince Shirtless...' The idea was even more outlandish than her first one, but the made-up scenario at least seemed to stifle her anxiety. It was purely an ill-concocted distraction; She truly hoped that nothing would happen to the Light Esper. Of the surrounding members of their group he had displayed the most assertiveness. She realized that this was due in part to the short amount of time she had known him, but she still had no reason to wish for anything to happen to the man. "Whatever it is, it needs to be cooked. Grab a stick and get that thing rolling." Alencia spoke up again as she eyed the meat. Celeste was hit by the growing hunger pains in her own stomach and she found herself silently agreeing with the sentiment. The stranger spoke up once more, "I am your new Earth Esper. I do hope I am allowed a portion. I have not indulged since yesterday. May I?"

The Light Esper seemed oblivious to the newcomers advances, the question lingered in the air as Nate continued on with his earlier thoughts, "I mean other than Damir, whom I watched taking down a bear with his powers, I have no proof that any of you are Espers. I figure since I'm the one asking, I should at least go first as far as proving my powers goes." Prince Shirtless calmly strode toward her and the fire she sat next to. Celeste watched with a muted interest as he pulled a knife out and began to rotate the blade through the fire she had produced. "As you know, I've claimed myself to be the Light Esper. The markings are adorned all over my arm, from my hand to my elbow. I will now demonstrate my healing abilities that come with being the Light Esper." She glanced toward the mentioned markings, rubbing her own injured hand against her exposed thigh as his intentions dawned on her. She could hardly blame him for failing to choose a demonstration that didn't include needlessly maiming himself. The man didn't know of her burn, and as far as she could tell no one else in the clearing was suffering from any injury. Nate pushed the blade against his forearm and made a shallow incision. After the act of self harm he marched toward the tree Damir and Presea were near. Nate had pulled a canteen from the boy's belongings and then washed the incision with a generous splash of water. The clear liquid had turned a pinkish hue as it mixed with the fresh blood and began falling to the ground in uneven droplets. Plop. Plop. Plop. Nothing happened immediately but she watched patiently as the wound slowly closed itself. "Hopefully, that's enough of a demonstration. Who's next?"

Celeste had a hard time believing any of the others would bite, but counting the Esper of Light himself there were now three proven Espers in his eyes. In her own, they had been proving themselves all night and she felt tired of the topic. However, Alencia still seemed hungry for answers which was evident in the way she pushed for the strange man's demonstration, "Hmph. I say we only offer to feed you if you can prove to us you really are the Earth Esper. Whatever causes us to be chosen seems to replenish it's members really quick if you speak the truth." Presea seemed to agree on the matter but her words were much too quiet for Celeste to hear. The quiet gathering was interrupted when Alvain suddenly re-entered the clearing, the Fire Esper watched as he crashed down to the ground through the thorns that had initially thwarted his exit. "Nnnng! Ah! Wretched- blasted-agh!" Celeste's eyes widened and she felt her breath hitch when the Animal Esper accidentally hit Alencia during his descent. The suspense was short-lived and the tension in the air was quickly replaced with Alvain's following observation, "That's not Eirik." Celeste stood, moving toward the other group and stopping where her staff lay in the grass. She stooped down to pick the object up before placing it on the ground and leaning some of her weight against it. She was close enough to hear everyone now, though she hardly expected Presea's next comment, "You wear glasses for a reason, Pretty Boy." Celeste flashed a small smile, the Shadow Esper had a sense of humor it seemed. 'Well that could certainly make the journey easier.' Her eyes lingered on the Animal Esper as he continued his barrage of questions, "Augh! Wh-why does it smell like...like...blood? What in the world is going on? Who is the stranger? And why...why is there a dead animal on the ground?" He had begun to panic, that much was apparent. Celeste raised her eyebrows as she thought about the possibility that this was just a response to an overwhelming situation. If almost all of them (including herself) felt at least some level of confusion and uncertainty, what chance could they possibly stand against powerful creatures of lore?

Presea began to answer Alvain first. Celeste admired the way she maintained a soft and even tone to soothe him. It was hard to believe that she shared their worries when she spoke in that way, but Celeste knew better than to expect such resilience from a person. Presea briefly touched on Celeste's story, soliciting a sheepish wave from the woman who was just happy to have been acknowledged as a legitimate Esper."That one though, he claimed to be the Earth Esper. Says Eirik died. You were out in the forest, correct? Did you see anything?" Celeste strained her mind to try and remember the man's features from the celebration in town. The images evaded her, and she was overcome with the feeling that the festivites had happened in an entirely different lifetime. "As for the dead bear, ask the sleepy pup whenever he comes around. Betcha he has a better explanation than I do. Supposedly it's dinner, but I'm not too convinced it's edible..." This gained a second smile and quiet giggle from Celeste. Evelyn broke her silence next, but it was almost painful to watch as the girl seemed to struggle to produce the words everyone feared, "I found his weapon. I looked everywhere, but...." Her voice broke and she shook her head, Celeste dropped her gaze to the ground. The adrenaline had worn off, and she was left with a lingering queasiness that threatened to stop any of her attempts to eat.

"Though, it wouldn't surprise me if the other one did die. Absolutely useless." Again, Alencia made her presence known with the less than fitting remark. Celeste screwed her eyes shut, mentally wincing at the harshness that saturated the Water Esper's voice. 'That mouth... Ugh.' If there was anything that would hamper her desire to get to know the young woman, it would be her filthy mouth. Celeste had been around her fair share of young children, teenagers, and grumpy adults at the end of their rope. None of them even compared to Alencia, but she still found herself generally able to tune negative people out. If there was a single circumstance Alencia should not have used as a platform for her self-importance, the death of a colleague would have to have been it. The others appeared to take the remark with a grain of salt, "We should probably do something with that before the worms and bugs get to it." Evelyn offered, moving to butcher the bear with her knife. The remark had obviously ruffled the Air Esper's feathers but she was holding her tongue for the time being. Celeste was thankful for this, the last thing she needed was every semi-attractive female in her vicinity bubbling over in a hunger induced rage. Alencia proved to be enough of a handful. "Maybe in the morning we can go back and see if the forest left anything of the bear for the rest of our journey."

"Alencia... could you repeat what you said about Eirik again?" The request was delayed, but simple enough. The serious tone in Nate's voice did not bode well for the Esper of Water. Celeste fidgeted nervously, moving her staff from one hand to the other as the Light Esper began to walk toward Alencia. His advance stopped as he turned and quickly spat a threat to the newest Esper. "You touch that meat before you prove you're an Esper and I'll cut your fingers off." That was all Celeste needed to hear. She felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand up and her fingers flex around her staff. Prince Shirtless had proven he was currently incapable of civil conversation, and this only worried the girl more. "You better watch your ******** mouth when you speak ill of the dead." He stretched and grabbed for Alencia's shirt, curling the fabric between her fingers as he lifted her off the ground. "You're as 'useless' as you say that he was, you stuck up b***h. You did absolutely nothing but huff around the campsite while everyone else did something to help. So maybe before judging someone based on the fact that disagree with you, you should take a long look at yourself and decide who's actually in the wrong in these situations."Celeste felt the heat begin to tingle in her extremities again, slowly washing over her body in waves. She was oblivious to the fact that the fire was now roaring behind her, producing an impressive amount of smoke. She could only see Alencia as she collided forcefully with the ground, and the still weakened Damir as he hobbled over to Prince a*****e to try and rectify the mistakes that had been made. Nate met him halfway, voicing to Alencia as he left her in the dirt, "I really hope you and I don't have this type of talk again. If we have to, next time I won't be so nice."

Damir had begun to speak to the Light Esper, undoubtedly trying to calm the man. She had heard a couple of choice words, among them crazy b***h, hungry and tired. Celeste had to agree on all three counts but it didn't stop the rage that was swelling inside of her. The feeling both terrified and empowered her, it was unlike anything she had experience before. 'Is this.. the power of the Fire Esper?' The thought was quickly pushed aside as she began to approach the group surrounding the bear meat with quick, even strides. When she approached she noticed the sorry state Damir was in. The poor boy was caked in blood, his ear seemingly missing a chunk. He was a mess but he was alive, that was something they could all be thankful for. She knew that she would have to catch up with him later, but for now Presea had it covered. The Shadow Esper was someone she now trusted, whether the feeling was mutual or not. She stopped next to them just as Damir mentioned his canteen. Prince a*****e had at least patched him up, but his powers were obviously on par with her own limited skill. She grimaced slightly, hoping that Damir's weakened state would improve with a good night of rest. It would be hard on the girl to lose the only familiar face in the group.

The Esper of Light was another story. "How DARE you." Celeste growled as the fire flickered toward the sky, a loud crack emitting from the kindling while it shifted under the crippling heat. Her cold, yellow gaze was fixed entirely on his face as she continued on with an unwavering, angry tone. "She may be a crazy b***h, and she may have said some harsh words," Her small frame was shaking as she moved a finger to point toward the source of her anger, "but what gives YOU the right to respond with force? You've got muscle, and power but you can't handle a couple of words? You call her useless, but you can't even think to help your comrades before making a completely pointless presentation and wasting your powers as well as some of HIS water." Her glance shot over to Damir before falling back on the Light Esper. "If he runs out maybe you can ask the useless b***h to procure it, because he is in obvious need. Unlike you, who can kill a damned bear but can't seem to deal with a little blood on your arm." She had a contradictory smile plastered on her face, she was obviously seething but she refused to lower herself to threatening the male as he had been so quick to do to his own kind. "Go ahead, harm another woman for speaking her mind. Prove you're no better than her holy Highness" It was a dare. The title she bestowed upon Alencia was entirely sarcastic, though she knew it would be interpreted differently. Celeste didn't care. The woman summoned all the restraint she had left and turned curtly on her heels. She knew that the kind of outburst she had just displayed was unusual for her, and it would probably scare the Lightning Esper. However, that fear took a backseat to the outrage she felt at seeing a male try to overpower by means of threatening and displaying force and then acting superior and free of guilt. Especially when the woman's only crime as far as Celeste knew was having a terrible personality and outlook on life. She had been told many times that she had a sort of mother bear complex, and this occasion was no exception, her irritation was only fueled by the angry lashes of fire that now pervaded her mindset.

She had stood in place angrily for a second before moving quickly to the treeline. Her horse was only a couple of minutes away on foot, and she had felt a growing desire for the wine her father had packed her. It took a couple of tries before she found the correct portion of the stream but eventually the woman was able to orient herself enough. She untied the mare and pulled the reigns into her hand. The horse whickered happily in response, quickly moving to follow the woman back to camp. Celeste tied the mare to a tree on the side of the clearing the fire was on before sitting next to the calmed blaze. She placed her staff and two bags beside her, pulling out the grape wine from the one her father had packed and taking a hearty swig. Her anger had subsided and she now felt embarrassment at her earlier outburst. There was a number of things she attributed it to. She was tired, she was cold, she craved the company of her hens and rowdy group of children. None of them included her adopted element. She was certain the elements only amplified traits that had been there all along. Celeste chewed on her lip before taking another swig from the bottle. 'Life will never be the same, huh?' She didn't want to become inebriated so much as take the edge off so she put the bottle down in the grass. Celeste then pulled both of her gloves off, turning them over in her hand with a wistful look before she moved and tossed them into the fire; they had little use anymore.


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❥ FEELING: Calming down tab ❥ WITH: All of the Espers and horse tab ❥ LOCATION: The clearing tab ❥ OOC: Sorry if I fudged up anywhere.

[Cynotastic]

ThoughtTalking

Alencia continued to sit there listening to the ongoing bits of conversation and even contributing herself as her eyes scanned the area. She was, for the most part, ignoring the physical location and appearance of Nate while she was unsure if it was just because of the sheer stupidity of the man. Either way, she didn't care. Her hands idly picked at her nails as she observed. Her eyes had fallen on Presea who was barely illuminated by the camp fire. But, the Water Esper was certain as to who she was. And then, in a moment, the woman disappeared. Icy eyes darted around the area as she was trying to get a better grasp as to what had happened, it was hen that she noticed that the Shadow Esper had actually managed to move close to besides Alencia and was examining the Lightning Esper. One of her eyebrows lifted and she shook her head. She wasn't paying enough attention to Presea to hear the woman actually speaking to the Lightning Esper. Nor did she really care. No, all she cared about was the powers that the black haired woman had at her fingertips."I would make that power so much more useful." The water Esper whispered as she returned to picking at her nails. A snarl formed on her expression as the chattering continued, she was impatient, she was hungry, she was frustrated. This first evening was terrible so far, filled with bothersome, annoying sacks of flesh that simply exist in a useless fashion.

After Alencia had spoke up her own opinion as to what she thought the new Earth Esper should do, Presea seemed next to jump on the same ship. "Yes a demonstration would be sufficient--." The woman continued to prattle on, but once she realized her rival had agreed with her, the Water Esper began to rub a finger inside of her ears ensuring that she could listen to conversation well enough. The Esper of Shadows seemed to enjoy hearing herself speak with how much she seemed to continue to explain that she would apologize and whatever other useless things she spoke of. After she had chirped up with demands of wanting proof from the newest addition to their group of eight, Nate was next to push the subject in another direction. "Who's to say any of us aren't false saviors, though? I mean other than Damir, whom I watched taking down a bear with his powers, I have no proof that any of you are Espers." "Ugh, really?" She audibly groaned as she rolled her eyes. This man was so intolerable and insufferable. Alencia could not stand this man. "I figure since I'm the one asking,--." He continued to talk, he continued to speak about proving their powers. As far as the Water Esper was aware, there was more than enough proof with their powers activating. She threw up water, she was obviously affected by the activation. Unlike Xeniel. Xeniel's only proof was her using her powers outside of the church, and while in a normal situation that would have made her believe it. With these stories, perhaps using their powers wasn't even proof. There was no reason to demonstrate anything to this intolerable man. Nathaniel continued to talk. It was unimportant, bothersome, annoying. Alencia began to tune him out with no interest in the discussion. If anything, for the original - now six - she viewed no reason for people to prove anything. No, only the two strangers needed to prove their powers. Because, out in the wilderness, it was easy enough for anyone to stumble upon them and pretend to be a a member of the espers. Even a member of the druids could try to sneak among us and try to sneak into the group. She mused as she reflected on some of the information that had been jammed into her mind as she was growing up. It was stupid and caused her to scoff.

However, as she was sitting there minding her own business, there was some shuffling which took place behind her. A voice hit her ears first and her head turned over towards where the noise was coming from. "Nnnnng! Ah! Wretched-blasted-agh!" There was a strange vibration of the log beneath her. Then, as she was getting ready to turn her gaze back towards the fire. As she was folding her arms back across her chest, something hit in in the back - hard. Her gaze turned and fell on Alvain and she noticed that the object which hit him was in fact his arm. She leaned forward with the pressure and spat out: "The ********] It was quiet, but loud enough the man of Animals could hear it. As the man fell onto his knees and seemed to attempt to recover from the encounter. "Agh! Ow! Nngg...." "You're the one saying 'ow'?! You just hit me in the back of the head clumsy pack mule!" She complained loudly as she reached back and rubbed the point of impact. The Water Esper was making a bigger deal out of the situation than necessary, but she had to make sure that the Esper of Beasts knew his place. And his place, was not to collide himself into the woman. If he did it again, Alencia would be certain to prove his mistakes with her fist.

As she sat there for a moment, her eyes tried to return to the flame, but the voice of Presea caught her ear once more. "You wear glasses for a reason, Pretty Boy." Her cerulean gaze drifted back onto the Shadow Esper, Alencia blinked a few times in confusion. While the man had stumbled out of the forest and hit her in the process, she still did not hear what the man had spoke to cause such a reaction from the black haired woman. Regardless, Alencia decided the reason she hadn't heard his words was because she was being too vocal about her own complaints. Though, at the end of it all, she didn't care. "Augh! Wh-why does it smell like...like...blood?" She stared"Calm down a bit." Her icy eyes stared at the Shadow esper interacting with Alvain. Alencia simply wanted to explain everything to the man with glasses, but it became increasingly apparent that Presea wanted to take any and all interactions with the man away from the Water Esper. She continued to stare pointedly at the pair as she eavesdropped on their conversation. "What in the world is going on? Who is the stranger? And why...why is there a dead animal on the ground?" "Here's the quick version: Xeniel was a fake, that's Celeste," "Idiot!" Alencia scoffed as she tried to override the storytelling of Presea. "He was here when she showed up. You don't need to treat the man like a toddler." She growled, still trying to keep the words of the woman from hitting the man and her explanation of Celeste. He was here for the whole show of her creating fire. Alencia wasn't certain of when he darted into the woods, but she at least knew that much. "That one, though, he claimed to be the Earth Esper. Says Eirik died. You were out in the forest, correct? Did you see anything?" When the Shadow Esper began to recount the information about the newest arrival, Alencia's gaze shifted onto the man. Her arms returned to over her chest and she simply continued to listen to the interaction. She heard Evelyn chirp up to respond to the question Presea posed to her, but didn't care enough to listen to the answer. Especially since she had already heard the woman speak up to finding his weapon. She was reiterating, and as per usual with the Air Esper spoke, it was unnecessary. In fact, the annoying pitch that her tone of voice hit was annoying enough that Alencia didn't even want to hear the woman speak anymore.

In fact, she actually cared little for the ensuing conversation and details about preparing the meat. It was taking them too long to even begin working on it. Why hadn't Nate made it into easy to prepare pieces when carving the flesh from the beast itself? Where did the man get his knife? She chuckled as she recalled her earlier points about the Air Esper's true identity. Though, at the very least Evelyn had a point about possibly returning to the creature to recollect more meat for the journey. She shrugged. "Might want to do something with that hide too. Might fester with maggots if not tanned." It wasn't really relevant, but if they were trying to make the most out of a creature, it was the only point she could think of to readily prepare. Alencia had been entertaining herself and had her gaze directed towards the ground that she hadn't even heard when Nate had requested her repeat herself. No, she was far too impatient for the food.

Her gaze lifted from the flames and settled on Celeste as she went to open her mouth for another bit of conversation. "How about while Airy over there takes care of the meat we start discussing the idea of ni--" Her words were halted when she heard a male's voice hit her ears. "--Did you say. About Eirik?" "I said, if he died in the wilderness, he was useless. Can't even handle himself against a few beasts?" She muttered as her gaze flicked over to the direction of the voice. As her icy eyes fell upon the bare skin, her gaze widened and she flipped backwards over the log as she noticed the exposed man was heading right for her. A shriek escaped her lips as she tried to scoot herself back away from the oncoming mess. Her face flooded red. She had heard the man continue to speak as he closed the gap from where he was to in front of her. His hand reached forward then snatched her from the ground as he lifted her up to his face. The man continued to speak at her, but as he did, she could only think of possible ways to get away from the man. Her hands clawed at his, her head was shaking frantically trying to avoid staring at him in any way or form. Legs were swinging wildly as she tried to think of ways to free herself. Nothing was happening, and she felt useless. Wrapping her arms around his wrists, she clawed into his skin, though, even with her wounding him and pulling the tips of her fingers from his flesh, he seemed to heal right through it. Her mind was not thinking right, she was scared, her face was warm, she was afraid. She couldn't free herself, and she was essentially trapped. Her brain was kicked into overdrive and each of the words the man yelled at her face were scrambled around to where nothing made sense. Cerulean eyes finally settled on the sky as a safe haven for her attention to be directed, and with the man continuing to yell at her, she had only managed to correctly hear the very last sentence he said before he dropped her back onto the soil in front of the bench. "--decide who's actually in the wrong in these situations." It was quite the fall and she felt her leggings scuff up and a few rocks cause small scratches against her legs as she collided with the dirt. She shot a glare at the man, but it was short lived as she directed her gaze back onto the flames. "Maybe you should put on a ******** shirt!" Alencia shouted at the man. Though, since she was not looking at the man she was making the request of, she knew full well the m an should understand what she was getting at. She had even managed to yell it over his own sentence as he parted ways with her.

Coughing a few times she gathered her hair up behind her head before turning to the side. There were so many different ways that whole scenario could have unraveled, if the man was fully clothed. She could have spat on the man's face, made sure he was certain of what exactly she had meant. Perhaps, she could have even kicked him where it hurt and truly prove how useless the man was. After all, Nate was only a man with the power to heal wounds, a power much more suited to a woman than a man. If she were in her right mind, Alencia would have made a comment about how perhaps Air and he were really the opposite genders. But, both of the powers were more feminine, so that wouldn't have made sense in the long run. She ran her hands through her two-toned hair as she tried to calm herself down from the increased adrenaline. Though moving them reduced the evidence of her own frazzled state, she was still certain her exasperated expression was enough to show exactly how awkward the encounter was. It wasn't so much the content of the interaction, so much the fact that Nate was still exposed. It was gross, it was terrifying, and she wanted nothing of the sort to happen again. After all, she struggled enough when it was a naked body of someone her own gender, the opposite was just even more overwhelming. Her breaths were uneven and wavered.

Alencia's attempts to recompose herself came to a pause as she heard a coarse voice speak up. "Hey, what'd she do?" Her icy eyes continued to stare off into the wilderness as she avoided the gaze of all those around her. However, even if she wasn't actively watching the exchange, she was still in range to listen to it all. "Look, she's a crazy b***h, yeah, but let's just eat - everyone here is hungry and tired, even that guy, probably." While she wasn't very fond of the word crazy b***h, she would deal with it. She had been called worse things at the end of the day so titles weren't really her thing to fuss over. Once the Lightning boy changed subjects, Alencia didn't particularly care to listen anymore. Her fight or flight instinct was still kicking in, she wanted to flee, but just like previously in the evening - Presea was still around. Therefore, she still had to stay. Her hands pulled her hair over her shoulder as she began to work the locks into a braid to at least keep her hands busy. Her breathing was beginning to level out, but there was still the slight wave to the sounds of her deep breaths.

When the discussion of the canteen came up, Alencia felt as though the desire of water was a contagious topic. Though, being that she was the Esper of Water, she took this moment as a point to try to hone her skills. However, it was not to offer Damir, no, it was for her own thirst. Shuffling herself onto the ground, as to put a bit of distance between herself and the pair of men, she sat on the soil. Her eyes danced along her legs as she noticed the scrapes and tares in her leggings from falling to the ground. Around her knees was where it was most cut up, but since it was simple cuts and nothing terribly harsh, she dealt with it. No, while she was not the focus of attention, she curled her hands into a cup shape. Cerulean eyes circled around the shape her hands made then she focused on her palm and watched as a small bead of water formed on her hand. Initially, Alencia believed it to simply be a drop of sweat from her panic, however as she focused on it, the liquid began to grow and become suspended within her hands. Her hands felt moist, but it almost seemed as though the water was not directly attached to her hand and that it was simply being created in a transparent bag of some sort. Regardless, she brought the liquid to her mouth and gulped down the eight ounces or so of water in one swift motion. Though, in doing so, she felt both extremely hungry, as well as the tired tingling take hold around her eyelids. She took a deep breath as she felt herself gain a bit more control over the element that had chosen her. While she wasn't particularly fond of it when she was first given the gift, realizing how useful she was to survival made her feel quite a bit important.

However, her bubble of self importance was popped as she heard a pair of footsteps charge up next to her once more. "How DARE you." In tow with the roaring anger of Celeste, the fire seemed to respond to her anger. It crackled and seemed to grow as her own interior spark of anger rose her to stampeding up to the Light Esper. With the two other people placed between herself and the shirtless man, cerulean eyes drifted onto the woman as Alencia's breathing returned to a normal pace and the red hues of her being flustered had mostly disappeared. Her eyes narrowed on the Fire Esper as she continued to aggressively throw words at the man. "She may be a crazy b***h, and she may have said some harsh words, but what gives YOU the right to respond with force?" There was that awesome title again - Crazy b***h. She gritted her teeth as she scowled at the brunette. Why was she defending her? Alencia could handle it as soon as the man put his ******** shirt on. Her eyes darted onto Alvain, back onto Zari, then back onto Celeste. "You've got muscle, and power but you can't handle a couple of words? You call her useless, but you can't even think to help your comrades before making a completely pointless presentation and wasting your powers as well as some of HIS water." Why was this woman defending her? The skin around her eyelid began to twitch with irritation as she stood at the Fire Esper. Though she knew that Celeste was standing up for her simply because of how harshly Nate had just handled Alencia, but she could handle herself. She was not a weak and pathetic person she felt like as she watched Celeste defend her. The Water Esper was plenty capable of taking care of herself. Standing to her feet she released a loud huff of air. The Fire Esper continued to prattle on, and this was only raising Alencia's anger. "If he runs out maybe you can ask the useless b***h to procure it, because he is in obvious need. Unlike you, who can kill a damned bear but can't seem to deal with a little blood on your arm." "I am not useless." The Water Esper growled as she glared at the trio. However, she was certain her words were lost under the rage of Celeste. "Go ahead, harm another woman for speaking her mind. Prove you're no better than her holy Highness" This was the last straw. Though, she was mildly conflicted due to the hidden compliment from the Fire Esper, however she had still pretty much blatantly expressed that Alencia was useless. "I am plenty capable of taking care of myself." She spat as the woman walked straight out of the clearing. While she had gotten the final word in to the woman, she didn't really care about that woman's action. Outside of Alvain and Presea, Celeste was her third preferred ally of the bunch. However, since the two had just met, the Fire Esper had no idea how prideful the Water Esper was, so she didn't want to hold her accountable for her actions. But, she also wanted to. Spitting into the fire, her gaze rolled onto Alvain, Presea, then onto the forest surrounding them.

"Whatever. Drop the whole topic. I can handle my ******** self, and once we get done with this dumb a** castle and half of this stupid group falls in there, I will be so grateful that I don't have to deal with you idiots anymore." Beginning to pace around the circle, her eyes darted across the members, though her gaze distinctly avoided the exposed man. "No, our discussion now needs to be on [********] night watch. We'll split into pairs, two for two hours of the night, and then we'll wake up the next rotation. I will take Alvain with me on my shift." She explained as she continued to pace around the circle. Alencia hadn't even notice Celeste return with her wine bottle.


☸ COMPANY:: Espers cyno ☸ LOCATION:: Forest Campgrounds cyno ☸ EMOTIONS:: Angry, frustrated cyno ☸ OOC::

[Scrivener_Lost]

His eyes continued to try and piece together the strange puzzle that had formed over he course of the hour, bits and corners missing as he slowly attempted to find the final resolution and bring a clear image to the distorted picture. But it was difficult. The overwhelming scent of blood was dragging his mind from locking into place the logical desire that he needed and instead replaced it with the need to get away from the horrendous smell. It was making him sick. Or at least, that's what it felt like. His stomach churned and gurgled, but it was not the same sensation that one would feel whilst experiencing nausea. It was a rolling feeling in his gut, almost feeling similar as though he were hungry. But that could simply not be the case. No. There was no way that Alvain would reduce himself to eating...a rolled up sack of noxious smelling meat. He refused adamantly in his own head, preventing himself from even thinking an iota of hunger. No. That sensation could not be hunger. He was perfectly content. I am perfectly content...not hungry at all... He told himself as he shoveled down the strange feeling. His anxiety was mounting and it was plainly seen on his face. However, he had been so focused on trying to place the broken shards of reality back together than he had nearly forgotten he had actually nearly mowed someone down while frantically running into the clearing. His arm was throbbing with the lingering attack, but he had not truly processed what he had done until the next series of words shoved utter fear into his throat, his breathing becoming hitched as his eyes widened. "You're the one saying 'ow'?! You just hit me in the back of the head clumsy pack mule!" Alvain whipped his head around to see Alencia's icy cerulean gaze practically stabbing him in the face with her daggers of hatred and frustration. Alvain winced as he pulled one leg underneath himself so that he was now kneeling on one leg instead of on his hands and knees like a whipped beast. But that did not prevent him from pinching his shoulders into a protective stance as he waited for the destined blow to his head, just like in the past. It was only a matter of time. He had made her mad consistently throughout the day and quite frankly, not being pushed around was beginning to wear on his nerves. He was waiting for the blow to his nose or the horrible welts from her sharp bony fingers. But nothing came and instead, he was rather surprised to hear a different voice offering to soothe the encroaching suffocation of another nervous breakdown as the low crooning words of Presea broke through the haze of panic and terror. "Calm down a bit." The Esper of Beasts responded almost immediately to her command as though her voice had some sort of supernatural hold over him, the words leaving her mouth like water pouring over a smooth surface. He sucked in a deep breath and as he felt the air fill his lungs, he could feel it as it pushed away the anxiety that had been building.

"Here's the quick version: Xeniel was a fake, that's Celeste-," "-He was here when she showed up. You don't need to treat the man like a toddler." The sharp and biting retort from the Water Esper made Alvain flinch in response. She was clearly not happy at the thought of Presea offering to assist the Esper of Beasts in repairing the broken timeline of events for him. Though Alencia was correct in the words she spoke, it did not give her a reason to bark at Presea for the lack of understanding. After all, even if Alvain had been here for the revealing of Celeste's purpose in light of Xeniel's betrayal, having someone else tell him what he suspected was far more comforting than the supposed assumption of the deed. He supposed the outburst from Alencia only further proved that she did not fancy the idea of letting Alvain get help from others despite the suffocating nature of her possessive anger. He did not understand it and throughout the years, he had sickeningly grown to accept it. But he had been freed from her tyranny for the last five or so years and he had grown to enjoy the freedom from the oppressive woman. And yet...here I am. Once again the plaything of this wretched woman, my will bent by the Gods as they see fit to torment me with her presence... Alvain thought bitterly as he wrenched his eyes s**t for a moment. He plucked the glove from his right hand and reached up to rub his eyes from beneath the glasses with a weary sigh. "I'll vouch that she's the real deal, otherwise we wouldn't have that fire. That one, though," Alvain followed her nod to the fair looking young man as she continued to explain to him the situation. Violet eyes took in the appearance of the newcomer, noting the fine shape of his cheek bones and the lightly sun-kissed appearance of his skin. He could not rightfully summon a name for the man from his mind as he dug through the various files and ledgers he had kept him his memory. Some called it photographic memory while Alvain called it a necessity in his line of work to be able to trudge up the hundreds of names of the public and their business while legitimizing papers. But for some reason, like quite a number of this group, he could not recall family records or even tax information. For all intents and purposes, a good portion of this group were blank slates, black dots splashed against a perfectly white canvas that marred the perfect system of order and civility. "He claimed to be the Earth Esper. Says Eirik died. You were out in the forest, correct? Did you see anything?" Alvain's eyes widened behind his glasses as he froze in his spot. What...Eirik...died!? The Animal Esper turned his shocked expression to Presea now as though to search for the answer from her despite the question falling from her own lips. "Dead..." The word left him breathless as though he did not fully expect it to have come from her mouth and it had punched him in the gut with enough shock to leave him sucking in air rapidly to compensate for it.

It took him a good minute or so to realize that she had asked him a question as his mind continued to fall into a whirlwind of new emotions. Eirik is dead...how...I don't understand. He was right here just an hour ago! How could that be possible? The Esper of Beasts knelt in the dirt for a moment longer, his right hand lingering at his chin as he fell into the grips of a far off train of thought. It didn't make much sense. How could he have died without anyone knowing he was being attacked? Did the earth simply open up and swallow him whole? Had he been struck down by a marauder? Had he been walking down by the river, slipped on a stone, and struck his head? It made no sense. Alvain himself could barely comprehend what was being told to him and Presea was asking him if he had seen anything? It was almost enough to make him laugh. He had simply gone to relieve himself and in the course of time it took him to pee and then to come back, not only had he been confronted by a strange pack of talking animals, but also that Eirik would have died and perished; it was simply maddening! How could any of this happen right under their noses? His brows lowered on his forehead before pushing together in a attempt to suppress the growing confusion and a new bubbling fear. "I found his weapon," Evelyn offered. Frankly, he was glad that the girl had interjected on his behalf. As it were, he really had nothing truly constructive to say and his own thoughts were now converging on trying to placate the fear that eventually, they were all going to be replaced. As silly as the notion was, it was already quite obvious that the Gods had a design and if for some reason you did not follow it, you were going to be struck down. Death was not a foreign concept to Alvain. During the length of his mother's sickness, he had watched as death lingered around her and slowly suckled the life from her. Her's had been a lengthy fight with death, but to hear that someone's life had been so suddenly ripped from them was perhaps more shocking than the concept of someone tricking a bunch of Espers just to pretend to be one. But just how did he die? Evelyn may have found his weapon, but that did not explain the sudden disappearance especially concerning the fact that there had been no signs of struggle or even blood on the weapon. So who would have been able to take down a strong and able bodied young man like Eirik without leaving as so much as a scratch on the blade or even a trail of blood? Did perhaps the strange sounds he had heard back at the river have something to do with it? After all, hadn't the animals claimed someone was coming?"Oh...it must be him...the Favored Son...quick! We need to leave!" Alvain's fingers drummed lightly against his chin in thought. "Leave him! The Favored Son will take care of him soon enough." So...perhaps...it was this Favored Son that killed Eirik? But...the timing would have been off...It could have happened before? Alvain sighed and dropped his hand as he turned his attention back to Presea as she continued to speak to him despite the lack of answers from him. Not that she would believe him even if he had told her what the animals said. After all, they were simple animals.

"As for the dead bear, ask the sleepy pup whenever he comes around. Betcha he has a better explanation than I do. Supposedly it's dinner, but I'm not too convinced it's edible..." She spoke with a nonchalance that had Alvain pausing before he slowly drew himself to his feet. Wait...did she say...what I thought she did? His eyes immediately shot to the sack of meat, the glass within the frames of his glasses reflecting the fire as everyone ambled about in their own intense manner. Did she say...dinner as in...we're supposed to eat that? He clenched his hand tightly, the back of his hand burning in irritation as he gazed with a distanced and disturbed look in his eyes. No...surely she jests... He thought to himself as his earlier thoughts on the rancid and sharp scent of the blood returned to him. No. He could not eat something like that. There were so many things wrong with this whole scenario that his mind simply refused to let him accept the sensibility behind it. No. He was not eating that. Bear meat!? It was a hunted wild animal! Did they have no concept on the plethora of diseases, parasites, and bugs they carried? Even if the meat was fresh and they cooked it to a charbroiled state, there was no promise that it would remove all of the bacteria contained within the wild animal. Did they check if the beast had been rabid before hand? Did they use sterilized weapons? DID THEY TOUCH THE DEAD MEAT WITHOUT WASHING THEIR HANDS!? Why had Nate simply dropped it in the dirt!? Not only would it be soaking up the leaves, sticks, and debris that it had gathered, but wasn't Damir bleeding when Nate had returned with both items in hand? What if there was cross contamination of blood? The young heir of Preston moved his left hand to his right hand where it was begging to be itched again, the burning desire rushing through his limbs as he felt his anxiety grow. No...I refuse... Evelyn's words only fueled his paranoia, "We should probably do something with that before the worms and bugs get to it." Alvain felt his intestines wrap around themselves uncomfortably as he watched the gentle girl stride over to the leaking gelatinous mass of bacteria and disease and began cutting into the meat with the ease of a seasoned butcher. As the blade sliced through muscle, fat, and sinew, Alvain turned his eyes away as he felt a wave of nausea pass over him. No. He could not do this. He was not a survivalist. He was a notary, raised on braised lamb and duck sauce, a silver spoon in his mouth and a silken handkerchief in his hand. He could not be an Esper.

Alvain had only been paying half attention to the other Espers aside from the few that were practically right in front of him. As such, he had not been completely aware of the growing sense of violence and tension that had been brewing between the members of the group. He had been so wrapped up in his own personal drama that he had not seen the jerky movements of Nate as a horrible threat issued from the man, "You touch that meat before you prove you're an Esper and I'll cut your fingers off." It was enough to completely snap Alvain from his downward spiral into disgust and anxiety as he felt the hair on the back of his neck stand on end with the sheer ferocity from which the words had been gilded in. It was utterly shocking. Out of all of the people in the group, he had never expected that Nate would have been capable of such brute disregard for others in terms of consoling their level of safety around him. It was...disturbing. He had pegged Nate for being level-headed and rather thoughtful despite the irritating manner in which he had approached Alencia in regards to Alvain being forced to carry her baggage around. Alvain's spine went rigid as he felt the familiar desire to simply run from the growing irritation and let the group scuffle to their heart's content. What is going on... The Esper of Beasts glanced at the new Earth Esper to judge his reaction, but had little time to dwell on the newcomer as he realized that Nate was walking towards him. For a minute, Alvain's heart leaped into his throat until the Esper of Light brushed past him. "... I asked you a question. What. Did you say. About Eirik?" Alvain whirled around as Nate charged at Alencia. "I said, if he died in the wilderness, he was useless. Can't even handle himself against a few beasts?" The Esper of Beasts watched with bated breath as Nate lunged forward as a shriek escaped Alencia, the sound making Alvain's skin crawl with goosebumps as though someone had poured ice water through his veins. It was a horrendous sound. It was a terrible sound. He had never heard that before, especially from the girl. And he did not like it. "You better watch your ******** mouth when you speak ill of the dead." He watched in shock as the man pried the girl up from the dirt and lifted her into the air. The air around him felt as though he had been completely encased in ice and yet, a deep inferno was building in his gut. And he did not understand why. But the fire was growing, moving from his toes and slowly crawling up his legs as he watched Alencia's face twist into an ugly mask of terror and discomfort. He felt his breath catch in his breath as the fire continued to build as it began to fuel his thoughts. Yes, Alencia deserved every foul word hurled at her and yes, she deserved to be yelled at. But she did not deserve to be treated so wickedly. No woman did. Ever. There was no excuse. As Nate spat words of discontent mixed with truth, Alvain felt as though he were rooted to the ground as Nate rightfully attempted to correct the poor way in which Alencia had been conducting herself and yet, Alvain could not help but feel somewhat desperate to see that horrible face of panic wiped from her. She was scared. Alvain had never seen her express it before and he decided...he did not like it. "I really hope you and I don't have this type of talk again. If we have to, next time I won't be so nice." And without grace or care, he dropped Alencia and the girl toppled to the ground, her long dual-colored hair drifting over her in an elegant cascade as she struggled to breathe. The Light Esper passed by Alvain again and his violet eyes followed him before drifting back to shaken girl in the dirt. By the Gods... He stared dumbly at the girl before a scratchy and gritty voice spoke up behind him. "Hey, Nathaniel! Hey, what'd she do?" He did not turn to see who was speaking. He recognized the voice which mean that he was indeed alive and well. The sound of Damir rising to his feet was damped by Alvain's own heartbeat as the unspent adrenaline surged through his blood, making his palms sweaty and the back of his hand itch. He was not entirely sure what to do with himself now, the bubbling fire still sitting sourly at the base of his stomach as he watched Alencia struggled to regain her composure. Perhaps even more striking than Nate's actions was how much pity he was feeling for her. For the first time in her life, Alencia had become the target rather than the aggressor. She had become him while Nate had taken her place, and though one would expect him to feel empowered by this turn of events, he could only feel a growing sense of sympathy for her and a growing irritation for the Light Esper. "Look, she's a crazy b***h, yeah, but let's just eat - everyone here is hungry and tired, even that guy, probably." Damir's words were clearly targeted at Nate as he tried his part to console his friend. So who would stand up for Alencia, then? Would anyone even dare to try and help her? Should he?

"How DARE you." His answer came in form of an angry crackle as the fire appeared to rage under the influence of Celeste's fury. Alvain flinched as he whirled around as the angered Fire Esper set into motion as she released upon Nate a series of reprimands for his actions. He could practically feel the area heating up with her unrelenting rage as she sank her fangs into the man and refused to let go until he had heard everything she wished to say. Her words were powerful and impressive. Scalding even as she raged at the Light Esper for his poor show in character. For all he was worth, however, the Esper of Beasts could only stand and gape stupidly at everything that was happening around him. The searing words and heated debate were making this a very dramatic turn of events. The egos contained in this tiny space were clashing and colliding creating a combustible component that appeared to be reaching its boiling point. If this was how they were going to be spending their first night, quarreling and fighting amongst each other, then it would not surprise Alvain in the least if they all turned up dead the next morning. This is surely a joke...what are the Gods thinking forcing a group like this to band together... "Go ahead, harm another woman for speaking her mind. Prove you're no better than her holy Highness" That did not sound like an idle threat and it struck home for Alvain as a man. He could never imagine himself striking a woman as it was heavily against his upbringing, but should the need arise in self-defense or for any other reason; he legitimately feared what Celeste would and could do. He did not know her in the least, but she did not seem to be the type to back down from a threat. He swallowed as he attempted to cease the quaking of his own heart in his chest. He wanted to run. He didn't like this at all. He wanted to move back to the log and placed his back against it. He felt strangely vulnerable, but Alencia was there and she looked as though she were ready to slice someone into ribbons. He raked his left hand over the top of his right several times, trying to keep from scratching it. At least, with this left glove on, his nails could not tear at his skin. But the drive and desire was there with a renewed urgency. He barely noticed now as Alencia stood and moved towards the center of the clearing, her ego bruises but apparently still whole as Celeste stormed out of the campsite. A frail sense of relief eked back to Alvain as he retreated from Presea and to the log that Alencia had just abandoned. He promptly tossed himself onto the log and sat down as his hands whipped up the violin case and slapped it against his lap. He didn't know why he needed it, but the moment the hard cured leather case was in his hands, he felt his roiling emotions begin to abate and calm, his heel tapping against the dirt nervously like a frightened rabbit. He only hoped that Nate would simply let the words fall where they lay and not kick up another angry backlash that would most assuredly result in the entire forest going up in flames. Replacing the glove over his right hand, he began to pick at the dirt and tiny debris that had become entangled in the fabric, allowing his mind to block out the remaining conversation that was spoken until he heard his name. "No, our discussion now needs to be on [********] night watch. We'll split into pairs, two for two hours of the night, and then we'll wake up the next rotation. I will take Alvain with me on my shift."

"Um...what?" The words uttered barely rose about a panicked squeak as his eyes focused on the woman as she paced the clearing. Night watch? What in the world was she thinking? He was not going to stay up in the middle of the night watching for danger with her as his partner! He gripped his hands tightly in each other as his expression shifted between confusion to panic and then finally settled on utter defeat. No one was going to fight Alencia and her claim over him. After all, he was nothing to them. A whiny whelp who did nothing to help in terms of setting up camp or even helping when a woman needed it. He was worthless and no one would care if Alencia cooked Alvain over a spit and used his bones as toothpicks while eating him alive. Because that's what she was going to do. He was sure of it. Why else would she voluntarily demand his assistance with her watch? She was going to torture him. Make fun of him. Make him her plaything as she grew bored through the long hours. The Esper of Animals cleared his throat as he struggled to voice his opposition, but really, who was he kidding? There was no way out of this. Even if someone spoke their opinion on the matter, had not a handful of them attempted to break him of his predestined fate as her pack mule earlier without avail? A long drawn out sigh of accepted defeat escaped him as he let his gaze drift onto the cold shadowy dirt a few feet away. There was no fighting this. It would simply be easier for him to accept the abuse he was about to receive than to exhaust himself trying to save face and wasting energy fighting his fate.


Color Encyclopedia

"Bird Dialogue"

"Racoon Dialogue"

"Deer Dialogue"

"Badger Dialogue"



〖 Ｌｏｃａｔｉｏｎ: Clearing 〗c 〖 Ｃｏｍｐａｎｙ: All Eight Espers 〗c 〖 Ｍｏｏｄ: Defeated 〗c 〖 ＯｏＣ: BRAIN BABY AWW YEAH 〗


"Talking"
'Mofo erizzle.'

[DeFehrenheit]

TR
TRAFF ↘↘ EVERY RIVER THAT I'VE《 TRIED 》TO CROSS traff and every door i ever tried was locked
tra ██████ ██████ TRA♔ ┆I JUST GOT LOST ⇝ !!

traff JUST BECAUSE IM LOSINGtraff DOESNT MEAN IM LOST trafftraff DOESNT MEAN ILL STOP traffkl DOESNT MEAN IM IN A CROSS traff AND IM JUST WAITING TIL THE FIRING STOPS
traffkl JUST BECAUSE IM LOSINGtraff DOESNT MEAN IM LOST trafftraff DOESNT MEAN ILL STOP traff DOESNT MEAN IM IN A CROSS traff AND IM JUST WAITING TIL THE FIRING STOPS
trafflight trafflight/ // // TRAFF OOOHOOH ; --- » AND IM WAITING TILL THE SHINE WEARS OFF

Though he stood out like a sore thumb in the middle of their resting area, Zari couldn't help but to feel more than out of place and invisible to the other members of his new group. Not surprising as hey knew nothing about him and he'd only appeared a moment ago, but the constant glances he'd received from various members, and lack of team morale with even one another, he wasn't sure how to exactly fit into he middle of things. They called for his name, but he hadn't given it to him yet. Why should he? He had no idea who any of the others were and if they had known it or not, it wouldn't have made much of a difference. The previous Earth Esper seemed to share his, Elrik, and yet he seemed to be nothing more than a useless waste of space. His name wouldn't be shunned in such a way. He wouldn't allow it. Especially not by such a group of delinquent youths who held only a sense of self-worth.

Deciding it best to ignore the nauseating interactions between the other espers, Zari chose instead to inspect the slab of protein 'Nathaniel' had tossed to the ground. He was thankful that the hide of the bear had been saved to preserve the meat's cleanliness, but couldn't help his impatience in the fact that it remained uncooked. His nostrils flared for the second time as the smell engulfed him once again. His stomach turning in unison, audible to anyone who was around him. Fresh meat was his favorite, though it'd been awhile since he'd had any. The town of Yelaria could provide every once in awhile, sure. But they usually looked out for individuals they knew before turning to outsiders for trading value. Besides, he'd never been one to rush for anything. Sighing, he lifted his head and turned to look behind him, Immediately, he could see the calculating eye's of another member glancing over to his position as the shadow girl casual revised him of the passed moments. He noted the other male was the only person of their group to sport a pair of glasses. He didn't really fit the mold of anyone else among them either as Zari felt something less of a 'warrior' and more of a... librarian? He wasn't sure, but decided it best not to grow too curious yet. He just wanted him to stop looking. The only thing he could do in return was to turn away in a nonchalant manner. Eventually they would stop. Eventually no one would wonder who he was or what he was doing there.

It wasn't like he wanted to be here either.

"You touch that meat before you prove you're an Esper and I'll cut your fingers off." The words had honestly caught him off guard. While he'd recently approached the age of twenty, the rather cold and booming voice of the 'Nathaniel' person made him feel almost ten years younger. A shiver ran down his spine just as he'd turned to look towards the shirtless blonde of the group. His eye's ran just as deadly as his voice had signalling that the threat would be fulfilled had Zari taken another step. One that he wouldn't have as he didn't receive an answer to his question yet. Unlike the shadow girl, he wasn't sure what to say or how to respond exactly. This was the same person he'd felt an attraction to only moments before and openly displayed it among the other's afterall. Once he nodded his head downward in a submissive manner, Zari tried his best to keep his attention to himself. He knew the others were looking at him once again to see his reaction, but he wasn't going to lash out. He wasn't going to do anything stupid that would ruin his chances of eating tonight. No... he would stay quiet and hopefully things would level out on their own.

Nathaniel turned away from him finally and continued his path towards who appeared to be the coldest member of the group. He words having come off as icy as her power suggested. The water esper. She'd been the one to allude that this Elrik person was nothing more than a useless addition to their group. Powerful words towards someone who'd recently died. The fact that he knew who this Elrik person was, nor did he care about anything the water esper though, Zari found it hard to become frustrated with her or understand the situation happening completely. Instead, he noticed the one calm member of the group now kneeling across from him. Evelyn he recalled. A girl who seemed to be the only to spout a short haircut among the other females. If anything, he'd refer to her as a pixie of sorts. From what he'd gathered so far, she seemed rather innocent. Her voice calming and her words carefully picked to exude nothing but understanding. Yet, he could feel a determination in her movement that signaled that she was a survivor. Someone he could possibly rely on in a stressful situation. Even now, while the others argued and bantered back and forth with one another, she sat preparing the meal that they were to feast on.

Bringing his leg's into a crossed position, Zari simply watched her move. His eye's tracing every pattern and step she took in portioning the meat for size. Though it wasn't much, she did her best to provide enough for each member to share an equal enough amount. Running a finger along one side of his head, the Earth Esper pushed a lock of his hair behind his ear. He hated when it messed too much in his face. "..." Should he tell her? The thought crossed his mind for a brief moment. So far he'd been referred to at 'that guy', 'him' and 'he' by everyone else among them.

He wasn't sure why, but something about the entire thing felt off. He already felt as though he didn't belong among them, but his purpose had been called for much more than that. He wasn't that guy. No... "...my name is Zari. Zari Chere." His voice was low so that only Eve could here him. Though he'd presented himself to be a rather calculating member and someone to push the buttons of anyone he felt off about, this girl poised no threat to him so far. "I promise to you, I am no threat."




XXXEsper ! Earth. • •




▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰
XXXXX With ⊱ 7 Espers XXX Where ⊱ A Camp Site? XXX Ooc ⊱ sleepy pos is sleepy but done ~
▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰

XXXXXXXXXXXXXzαяι cнεяε ▬▬

[Promise of Bliss]

cynosuralcataclysm11▸LOCATION: Clearing cy||no ▸MOOD: Blehhhh



It was refreshing sometimes to see the effect that her words had over people. She owed the man nothing, but the way his anxiety, that had now peaked following Alencia's selfish verbal lashing, quickly recede with a deep, calming breath made her smirk a bit. Alvain was the product of good breeding, of money and resources being carelessly thrown at him with the promise of success and social standing. Everything in his life had been handed to him with his silver spoon; in her eyes, he deserved all the anxiety that he could muster. But she was not cruel; the wilderness giveth, the wilderness taketh away, after all, and what had she just done but remove the tension that her world had bestowed? She launched into her explanation, careful to keep her voice low and even; he'd been through a lot and could use the reprieve. Alencia had another idea. "Idiot! He was here when she showed up. You don't need to treat the man like a toddler." The shrill bleat of the Water Esper gave Alvain a start, soundly undermining any charity work Presea had involved herself in. She stopped her explanation for a moment to fit the dark-haired woman with a glare of appropriate ice. "If I had been speaking to you, I imagine I would have said your name. It's a recap, forgive me for daring to be thorough." The woman was unbearable when she wanted to be. It had apparently been a fleeting thing for them to be on level ground about much of anything, but she doubted looking at her that Alencia had even heard her; her attention was diverted toward the arguing men. Presea gave a soft huff. What was the woman so very salty about? It seemed that she particularly got that way concerning Alvain, expressly when she spoke with him. This level of possessiveness was assuredly not healthy... And besides, who was treating him like a toddler when Alencia would not even let the man speak for himself? The Esper of Animals needed to toughen up a bit if he intended to survive among his brethren; nature was notoriously unforgiving when its prey was as noodley and poorly equipped as he was. And that was fine. Maybe a hefty badger bite would knock the noble down a few rungs... she mused idly, but none of this showed on her face as she went back to narrating the evening's events. Whatever she said apparently was tickling Celeste, she noticed, absently registering the smirk on the woman's lips. So then her humor wasn't entirely lost on everyone. Thus far, it seemed like Presea could actually find a potential ally among the rank, s long as she didn't abruptly begin being as much of an insufferable pain as the rest of the group had already become. She also took a moment to appreciate that the woman was now armed; so Presea was not the only one to operate under the mantra of 'constant vigilance'. That was promising...

As her lips released the details on Eirik, his eyes widened to saucers. It would seem Alvain wasn't taking the news well, Alencia's interjection aside. "Dead..." he repeated breathlessly. She looked him over, desperately wanting to snark him. Yes, dead, deceased, no more, not alive, gone off to sing with the choir invisible- I have a large array of synonyms for the sentiment should you need them. She kept her sass to herself though as she pondered his expression. To her best guess, the information had literally balled its fist and struck him breathless. Part of her wanted to chide him: people died all the time; his reaction was more befitting the loss of a dear friend rather than a cursory acquaintance. But at the same time, she had to empathize with the poor man; death probably wasn't that integral part of his life. High society had access to better health care- doctors, medicine, tools to help alleviate wounds and illnesses were readily available to them. People just dying, and dying suddenly without any kind of warning or preparation, was likely a shocking experience to someone in his experience. Presea had seen it before; perhaps that jaded her to the entire episode, but that dd not relieve him of the right to his bemusement. She lowered her gaze away from his fearful expression. He was in shock, and while that was irritating and inconvenient, she could (unfortunately) understand it; she wouldn't push him for a response he clearly did not want to give (or at least did not have the capacity to give. It was plain luck as far as she could tell that Evelyn stepped in for Alvain, struck dumb by shock, to announce, "I found his weapon," While Presea could appreciate her input, a small part of her was still soured by the pronouncement. Circumstances allowing, she was waiting for Alvain to finally give her an answer himself for once in his life. As of yet, everyone else rushed to his aid, answering for him. This was a singular instance, but later on, she would be more prone to snapping to let him speak for himself. He would never grow a spine so long as people continued coddling him... "I looked everywhere, but..." He was probably eaten by animals... she mused, her eyes narrowing imperceptibly. Saying such a thing would offer no solace, nothing but more discord. Instead, she replied, "We can look tomorrow during the daylight. We'll have better luck then I'm sure." There was nothing to gain in escalating a situation with such nervous people. Right now, they needed someone in command of themselves, someone strong to act as a pillar. She had no desire to do that for people she had no allegiance to, but in the midst of the volatile circle they were trapped in, Presea did not have much choice...

As if to prove her point, the Esper of Light spoke up. "Who's to say any of us aren't false saviors, though? I mean, other than Damir, who I watched taking down a bear with his powers, I have no proof that any of you are Espers." She snapped taut like a released rubber band, back on the defense from her momentary stint with complacent targets. Presea was back among the fray. Her eyes darted to the unconscious boy behind her. Damir, huh? She looked him over once, then tutted softly and flipped her head back to face the speaker. Stupid name... She looked to the blond, a dry deadpan expression plainly displaying her thoughts of that subject. Well I literally just teleported. I owe you nothing. she mused, her weapon held before her at the ready. He went on. "I figure since I'm the one asking, I should at least go first as far as proving my powers goes." Too late, already beat you to that. She grinned mirthlessly at the thought, taking subtle pleasure in having 'beaten' him in his own simple-minded game. He didn't notice, though, as he dutifully distracted himself with the knife in his grasp. Presea never understood the appeal of such brazen displays of dominance assertion. The entire group seemed enamored with beating their chests at each other in true animalistic fashion, though, and none so shamelessly apparently as the shirtless "wonder". He drew the knife recklessly along his arm, and while her eyes widened a bit, she did not move at all as he measured his proverbial manhood in front of everyone. She rolled her eyes as he poured Damir's canteen over his wound; while it was not a lot of water, it was a blatant waste, especially for a purpose so meaningless as this. Besides, the Lightning Esper obviously needed that, but clearly he was more interested in his stupidity score in Presea's mental roster than his ally's well-being. For the record, the display garnered him ten points. Looking entirely too pleased with himself, he turned his eyes toward the Espers at large. "Hopefully that's enough of a demonstration. Who's next?"

She held her position where she was, not bothering to even give him a look to say 'shut up. She did not need to prove herself any further, much less to him. This whole event just felt like a peacock boasting who had the prettiest feathers, and she did not want any part of the display. It was petty, meaningless, and fundamentally would not help anyone. "Okay, so that's three people who I know for a fact are Espers." He evidently was in agreement. Good, that made her life easier. She turned her attention back now to Alvain, completing her narration of the events he had missed as she pointed out the "food". As she did, she noted the quiet chuckle from Celeste. There it was again, this strange connection that she and the Fire Esper now seemed to share. Presea never really considered herself funny, but she seemed to be entertaining the brunette, at the very least... Unexpectedly, the "unconscious" boy piped up behind her in response to her cynicism. "If it wasn't edible, we wouldn't've hunted it." he slurred , pushing up off of the tree a bit. She was caught at that moment between blushing and snapping. How long had he been awake? Had he heard her careless commentary about him being a pup, or worse...? She didn't want to consider it, and the slight pink to her cheeks would thankfully go unnoticed to anyone without her impressive and newly acquired night-vision. She defaulted to snapping. "What the hell were you doing to get an injury like that?" she said brusquely, her voice still as hushed as ever. She ducked over, stashing her weapons now in favor attempting to help him stand. This man is a moron. No self-regard... That was promising.

A familiar rough scoff drew her attention to Alencia yet again. "Though, it wouldn't surprise me if another one did die. Absolutely useless." Presea rolled her eyes without restraint ( she noticed Celeste looked about as amused as she felt; solidarity among a group of enemies was refreshing, to say the least), but otherwise she was unaffected by the Esper's statement. It was just classic Alencia: insensitive and callous as hell. It was not her place to intervene on the behalf of the dead, who obviously did not have the capacity to appreciate the sentiment. The Light Esper, clearly unamused, instead busted a [******** lung. With an uncharacteristically malicious air, he began moving slowly across the clearing and toward her, even taking a moment to snap, "You touch that meat before you prove you're an Esper and I'll cut your fingers off." at the apparently "Earth Esper" (who pointedly ignored her even we she was attempting to make level ground with him... Yes, solve all of your problems by baying worthlessly, that is helpful to soothing my nerves, she mused, repeatedly telling herself not to lunge for the neck the way she so desired). The sun-tanned man cowled like a beaten dog at the blonde's words, moving to stand next to the least intimidating member of the party, Evelyn. It was an odd behavior to see him demonstrate following his aloof, careless defiance from before. What about the other man's words had broken his spirit so? Whatever it was, Presea needed to take notes. The man had not made an ally that day by ignoring her, that much was certain; anything in her arsenal to bend him to her will was enough, and if raising her voice did it, she would have no qualms cracking the whip over him...

Light Brat was going overboard. He picked the smaller woman up by her collar, suspending her well into the air so that he could meet her eyes. Presea snarled, appalled. This was outrageous! "You better watch your ******** mouth when you speak ill of the dead." he seethed. "You're as useless as you say that he was, you stuck up b***h. You did absolutely nothing but huff around the campsite while everyone else did something to help. So maybe before judging someone based on the fact that they disagree with you, you should take a long look at yourself and decide who's actually in the wrong in these situations." She glared from a distance, personally afflicted. To intervene? It would be shocking if Alencia didn't do anything herself, but she seemed... well, put in her place, though over what she wasn't certain. She somehow doubted the man's point was brought home. What the hell was the point of commemorating the dead anyway? It wasn't like they were around to appreciate it. Dead was dead, end of story. "Lay off." She spoke softly, and while it was clear this was a demand, not a favor, she spoke in a voice that did not call for attack. "All of this barking won't bring him back. At this point, we need to band together if we want to make it, since right now our survivability is despairingly low..." He wasn't entirely wrong, but there were obviously better ways of going about it.

She had been distracted it would seem, and while her attention was off of him, the Lightning Moron had stood up behind her, leaning heavily on the tree. "Hey, Nathaniel!" His scratchy voice peaked worry in her as he stumbled forward toward the openly hostile Light Esper, now known to be Nathaniel. "Hey, what'd she do? Look, she's a crazy b***h, yeah, but let's just eat- everyone here is hungry ad tired, even that guy, probably." Damir gestured weakly toward new guy. Taking her opportunity, Presea rose from the ground, moving over to support him as he swayed unevenly on his feet. There was no doubt in her mind that he did not want the help, and probably would even pull away from her, but she was prepared. He had put one foot in the grave- now it was her job to get him out of it, whether he liked it or not. It was ridiculous to her. Presea had always had a good deal of pride, but the sheer hubris and unassuageable egocentricism displayed by the whole lot was starting to make her ill. "Ah, by the way, everything with the bear turned out fine, right? You're all right? My memory's a little off right now," She knit brow with concern as he chuckled lightly-- Well that's a sign of shock, which is promising... Seriously, what had this idiot done, struck himself with lightning? No one would do that...no one could be that hopelessly stupid... "And... d'you know where I put my stuff? I need my canteen,"

She sighed heavily. Of course. The water. Off to the side, Alencia was making her public demonstration of capability as well, as though Nathaniel's attack had made her more amiable to his wishes (though she was more inclined to believe Alencia saw them as two entirely unrelated events... of course they were, dearie). Most of her display was lost among the swirling fury of the crowd, but still, Presea saw, and she had to admit creating water was impressive (not that she was going to share with the ailing boy, obviously, as she drank it all herself.. selfish). Of course Nathaniel (who made such a huge spectacle of demonstrating his abilities, but still couldn't tell her his god damn name himself), had used Damir's canteen. It was alarming how ill-prepared many of their lot seemed for a full-on stint in the woods. Survival was fifty percent planning, forty percent preparation, and ten percent luck, after all... and they didn't seem to have any of the three categories in their party... Ignoring her worries, Presea tugged Damir carefully away from the volatile throng of Espers, offering, "C'mere. You can just use mine for the time being." More than anything, she just wanted him to sit down and recuperate. In his current state he was a huge liability to everyone's safety and she wasn't particularly fond of the idea that she would have to babysit in a time of crisis (given that this whole party seems like a god damn time bomb, any moment could be a dire moment...)

As she conducted him away, Celeste moved to the offensive; her body was crackling violently, and Presea could feel heat wafting off of the woman like sands in a desert, approaching Nathaniel pointedly. That was cue enough. She pulled Damir with more force, directing him toward where her blanket was lain. "How DARE you." Oh, good. Celeste can field this. she mused. Already Presea liked her; it was uncommon for her to take such a liking to people so quickly, especially considering the circumstances of their meeting. However, those exact circumstances had served in Celeste's favor. The enemy of my enemy, it would seem, though she hardly qualified the majority of the people in the clearing as enemies (she bitterly glowered to the self-proclaimed, but yet unproven "Earth" esper. Yeah, they were not cool at all). "She may be a crazy b***h, and she may have said some harsh words," Wow guys, tell us how you really feel. It would seem everyone wanted to voice that they thought Alencia is a crazy b***h, and Presea mirthlessly laughed to herself. If Alencia had any qualms with that, it was just too bad, since it seemed to be a general consensus. "But what gives YOU the right to respond with force? You've got muscle, and power, but you can't handle a couple of words?" Their group did not seem particularly adept with diplomacy, she noticed idly. Celeste was right. This was all getting out of hand. By now, though, she and Damir had made decent tracks, sitting comfortably halfway across the clearing from all of the turbulence. "You call her useless, but you can't even think to help your comrades before making a completely pointless presentation and wasting your powers as well as some of HIS water." She half-listened to the exchange, nodding absentmindedly as she rummaged through her pack. Celeste had a good point; rather than displaying blatant masochism and expending energy uselessly, he could have instead helped his apparent ally of the painful looking gouge he now sported on his ear... Her eyes darted to the exchange-- Celeste looked pleased with herself, provoking him further. That Presea did not much agree with such action, but it was no longer her concern. The Fire Esper had a staff. She could handle herself. Her hand hit leather quickly enough- her waterskin. She found that it was more useful to carry than a canteen as long as you were careful; they molded to their surroundings and didn't take up as much room, but tended to hold just as much water if you were smart about it. She plucked it from the bag and held it out to Damir. He was sitting now (she had forced him, granted, but he was sitting) just a short distance from her. "Here, drink this. It's fine, drink however much you need."

Out of the corner of her eye, Celeste bowed out of the clearing momentarily. She had mentioned something about a horse recently, correct...? It didn't matter. She directed her attention back to her bleeding comrade. "Feeling any better?" she inquired. Presea was not really keen on the idea of taking care of him for too long. While she was wiling to help him as long as he needed it, she did not enjoy being inconvenienced. He was supposedly an ally, wasn't he? It would be uncouth to let him bleed out... She leveled him with a clearly unamused expression. "I'm probably overstepping here, but you really ought to be more careful. People won't always be around to carry you back to camp, and not everyone is always going to operate in your best interest." It was candid, but a fair summation. She could probably have been more tactful about it, but his obvious self-negligence seemed to warrant such measures. After all, she wasn't concerned with making friends here. All that mattered was living. At the end of the day, if they were alive, she succeeded.

"No, our discussion now needs to be on [/********] night watch." Presea's attention was drawn harshly from Damir as Alencia seemed to have bounced back, shouting to the gropu as a whole. Because the expletive was strictly necessary. And totally lent itself to the necessity of the nightwatch. Good job. She panned her eyes across the clearing, landing on Alencia with a deadpan, unamused countenance. There were other ways to go about the issue... "We'll split into pairs, two for two hours of the night, and then we'll wake up the next rotation. I will take Alvain with me on my shift." Part of her wanted to disagree on principle, but she had a point. A nightwatch would be a good idea to instill. Alvain looked less then pleased with the arrangement, she noted as she turned her gaze to him, but it was not Presea's place to step in for him. If he was so bothered by the set-up, then he needed to find his voice. Presea was not capable of stepping in for him every time he looked stricken, nor did she ever want to be considered his personal crutch. This was a life-or-death mission; he needed to buck up and speak for himself. Instead, he breathed a sigh of defeat, accepting his fate. Pathetic... She shook her head at him plainly, then sighed. She decided it was better to make her own fate than have it chosen for her... "I can look after the invalid." she announced, raising her voice enough to be heard as she thumbed back to where Damir was sitting. At least that way she could make sure he didn't die in the night or something (or something being that she wouldn't be stuck with the man she would likely try to kill). After all, head injuries were commonly more severe than people realized. Concussions, brain damage, or worse were all completely undetectable from the outside. What was it Ravenor did when Ramir hit his head that one time...? Something with his eyes... She would have to contemplate that for a while. It would be at least good to know. She peered around the group, waiting for others' input.



▸COMPANY: Esperscy||no ▸OOC: Let me know if I need to change anything!

[Kairakoi]

Evelyn Δ Kathrine Δ Avila

Evelyn had the small hunting knife in her hand, and had knelt down to portion the meat with the hopes of distracting the group into working together and avoiding conflict. For a moment, she had thought it had worked. "Might want to do something with that hide too. Might fester if not tanned." Alencia uttered her first words that didn’t come off as needlessly cruel, and actually somewhat useful. She didn’t know too much about how to tan a hide, but she did know it is a laborious task. But maybe there was something else they could do with it, or perhaps someone else in the group knew a method she was unfamiliar with.. "I don’t think we have time for tha-." The new guy, claiming to be the Earth Esper, was soon beside her at the meat, appearing to be the most helpful of the group at the moment. But Nathaniel had other ideas about what happened next. And it was exactly what Evelyn had been trying to avoid: confrontation. "If you touch that meat before you prove you’re an Esper and I’ll cut your fingers off. What...Did you say .... About Eirik?” That was totally uncalled for and frankly, Evelyn wasn’t having any of this attitude of Nate’s right now. She rolled her eyes and looked at the Earth Esper sympathetically. Everyone had a had a rough day, tensions were high... Maybe it would go away. Maybe it would just stop. "I said," Oh gods, no. "...if he died in the wilderness," Please stop. "...he was useless ." Evelyn lifted her eyes from the meat and watched the situation she had tried so meekly to avoid. "Can’t even handle himself against a few beasts?" Without hesitation, Nathaniel was on Alencia like a wild cat on prey, and she was scooting pitifully trying to escape the monster she provoked. Evelyn hadn’t known him to have a temper, and it was worse than she imagined. Nate, someone she thought a friend, lifted Alencia by the collar so she could not escape and berated her. Even worse, Evelyn found it hard to feel badly for the girl-a feeling that twisted her stomach up into a hundred tiny knots. Finally, he dropped her to the ground. As she hit, Evelyn had not minded her knife as well as she ought to have been and cut her left finger and thumb.

The air Esper flinched at the pinch of the knife and let loose a quiet gasp. She brought her fingers to her mouth and suckled the wound, tasting a little blood. It was nothing serious, but enough to draw her attention away from the scene. "What she do?" She heard Damir’s calm, tired, voice trying to make the best of the situation. She was happy to leave the peace keeping to him while she minded her hurt. He wasn’t defending Alencia or Nate, but instead trying to misdirect, distract, calm. It was the same tactic she had used, and for a moment she felt it might work. Once again though, someone had other plans. "How DARE you.” The fire esper was angry and the fire crackled and popped with her rage. That much was clear, but Evelyn was a little confused about the motive. Was she already that invested in her friendship with Alenica? On the one hand, she was defending Alencia’s right to speak, defending her from the accusations of ‘uselessness.’ Evelyn felt she had no basis for such a defense. Alencia had been, more or less, useless the entire trip. She even had Alvain carry her bags. Nate and Damir hunted. Evelyn had set up the fire pit. Even Alvain and Presea had at least carried their own weight even if they hadn’t been the most helpful setting up camp. She shook her injured hand and went back to the final few carvings of meat. And then she closed with a, ‘why don’t you pick on someone your own size’ sort of statement that left a bad taste in Evelyn’s mouth. Celeste, meant well, she knew, but really, she was only perpetuating the argument. It was not surprising, that Alencia would not take her 'defense' quietly. "I am plenty capable of taking care of myself." To her relief that was the end of it. Celeste had stormed out of the camp and everyone just wanted to move on.

Evelyn had finished carving the bear and had eight well portioned steaks ready for cooking, and with that complete, she wiped the bloody blade of her hunting knife on her skirt and stuck the thing back in its pouch in her pack. "...my name is Zari. Zari Chere.” She was surprised that he was still beside her. Pleased that he had not felt the need to get involved in the petty bickering, Evelyn smiled. It was a stressed, nervous smile, but he had told her his name. Zari, she thought. ”I promise to you, I am no threat.” That wasn’t what she had been nervous about. If he had wanted to hurt her, he could have while everyone had been distracted by their own messes. Besides, she had done a good enough job of hurting herself. "Well.." She paused, brought her cut fingers to her mouth again, and looked down at the steaks. Evelyn didn’t know what to say to him, but she wanted to choose her next words as wisely as she could. No reason to provoke anyone any further. "...Zari..." Everyone here has problems... "..it might do some good to, um… just do a little something with your power.” herself. "Just to put everyone at ease....you know?" Evelyn didn’t want to him to feel unwelcome if he was the Earth Esper he claimed to be, but the loss of one of the more pleasant members of their group weighed heavily on her mind. "How about something to cook this on, hmm?” She wasn’t sure if it was something the earth esper could do, whip up a grill of some kind out of rocks or something. “Maybe once everyone has food in them, the tension will fade.” Her voice trailed off as her gaze fell over the scattered members of the party. A girl could dream.

“...our discussion now needs to be on ******** night watch.” Anger was still present in her voice, but once again, Evelyn found herself finding sense in Alencia’s words though not with their tone. "I will take Alvain with me on my shift." No surprise there. Alvain seemed to be the only person Alencia wanted to associate with, as strange as that seemed. The man was her polar opposite in nearly every personality trait. Evelyn was not going to start another argument. “I can look after the Invalid.” A little bit of a surprise there. Presea had yet to come off as the caring type, but perhaps there was more to the Shadow Esper than meets the eye. Four down, three to choose from. Before his outburst minutes ago, Evelyn would have asked Nate to join her on watch. There was very little chance that she could find peace beside him or Celeste on this night . She was sure someone would insist the two newest members of their group ought to be watched on watch. She didn’t want to give the group that opportunity to create more animosity towards their new members. “I can take watch with Zari.” She hoped saying his name to the group would help to further alleviate some tension. Turning back to the Earth esper, she spoke to him, "I’m Evelyn, by the way.. I don’t think I mentioned it…” That left Nate and Celeste for the last pair, gods help them all.


Everyone : Who
The Clearing by the Fire: Where
Exasperated > Hopeful : Feeling
Good night Neverland : OOC

[Sheezur Cannoli]

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tab Ｖｏｉｃｅｄ Ｂｙ: Majima Junji
tab Ｌｏｃａｔｉｏｎ: The Campsite
tab Ｃｏｍｐａｎｙ: All of the Espers
tab Ｆｅｅｌｉｎｇ: Pissed off.
tab ＯｏＣ: N/A
tab Layout created by Cynosural Cataclysm tab ┘



To say the very least, it was easy to tell by the looks he was getting that Nate wasn't exactly everyone's favorite Esper right now. In fact, he wouldn't be surprised if he was more hated than Alencia was. But that's how things were with Nate: he was the type who would bottle up everything he could until it eventually exploded, causing serious structural damage. Perhaps it was a trait that he inherited form his father - No, not Rochefort. Rochefort was very calm and cool. I specifically mean a trait from whichever bandit or mercenary was lucky enough to impregnate his mother. Either way, this temper of his was certainly more of a hazard than it was helpful; who would want to work with someone like that? No one."Hey, what'd she do?" The rather hoarse sounding Damir was behind him, making his way over to where Nate was standing. Well, I suppose Damir wouldn't mind. "It's nothing really...The Wench's words got under my skin, and I let my anger get the best of me." Nate pointed at Alencia on the ground with his thumb, who was trying to cope with the confrontation she was just in with Nate. "Maybe you should put on a ******** shirt!" She seemed to be upset with his partial nudity more than the venom he spat towards her, based on her response. Either way, if he managed to establish a bit of dominance over her, maybe she wouldn't act so entitled?

"Look, she's a crazy b***h, yeah, but let's just eat - everyone here is hungry and tired, even that guy, probably." Damir was referring to the Earth Esper, the one that Nate had threatened even before dealing with Alencia. In the end though, Damir was right; the feeling of an empty stomach was incredibly demoralizing. Nate had heard stories of sieges upon castles where supply lines were cut and the people had to survive by eating the rates that scurried within fortress walls. Hunger does things to men. "I suppose you're right, Damir. We should be eating instead of fighting among ourselves." Nate was certainly lucky to have someone like Damir on his side; he was kind-hearted and meant well. He was certainly someone that their party needed among this trip: someone who could act as the heart and soul of the group. "Ah, by the way... Everything with the bear turned out fine, right? You're all right? My memory's a little off right now..." Nate couldn't help but smile a bit. Damir was in such terrible shape, yet he was still more concerned with Nate's personal well-being over his own. He was a great person. "I'm completely fine. Actually, you should be a bit more worried about yourself. I did what I could to tend to your wounds, but you're likely to have a few battle scars from that fight." Nate patted Damir on the shoulder rather lightly, knowing that he was certainly would have toppled over if Nate had put any strength into his congratulations. "And... d'you know where I put my stuff? I need my canteen," Oh! That was right. Nate had borrowed his canteen, but didn't go out of his way to put it back on Damir's belt. It was lying over by the tree that Damir was at before. "Yeah, I'm sorry. I borrowed it for a second, but it's over on the ground by the tree you were at before. Also, your quail. It should be in the bear skin, next to another present for you. I've heard stories that warriors who slay animals like bears would often eat their hearts in order to gain their strength and courage. I don't know if it's true, but if you want to try it, it's there for you."

Nate was going to point it out for him, but was distracted by three rather strong words coming from behind him. "How DARE you." The sound of those three menacing words sent a slight chill up his spine. Those were words that a mother reserved especially for when her son had done something absolutely terrible. Nate turned to see that it was the Fires Esper who had been the ones to say it. Out of everyone here, she seemed to be the one who was the most heated up, no pun intended, about the confrontation between the Light and Water Espers. "She may be a crazy b***h, and she may have said some harsh words, but what gives YOU the right to respond with force? You've got muscle, and power but you can't handle a couple of words? You call her useless, but you can't even think to help your comrades before making a completely pointless presentation and wasting your powers as well as some of HIS water." She seemed to be really upset with this. Was she a close friend to The Wench? Oh Guardians, please don't make this one as intolerable as that Wench. "First of all: I think you need to take a step back, and realize that this has nothing to do with you at all." Nate sort of shrugged of her verbal assault. "Secondly, if you think I'm going to apologize, you're dead wrong. The apology would just fall on deaf ears. Were the roles reversed, I guarantee you that she would hesitate to try and drown me with her water. "

Then of course there was the idea of using Damir's water. "If he runs out maybe you can ask the useless b***h to procure it, because he is in obvious need. Unlike you, who can kill a damned bear but can't seem to deal with a little blood on your arm." Runs out? How could someone run out of water when there was a river not even twenty meters away? Nate couldn't help but laugh at her argument. "I'm not sure you know this, because you arrived after us... but we're in the middle of a forest. And in a forest, there's rivers. And what are rivers made of? Water. Lots of fresh, flowing water. If he runs out of water, we can go there and fill up the canteen. Simple as that." She wasn't very bright, was she? Nate was petty much done with this conversation and went to turn around when she let out one last line: "Go ahead, harm another woman for speaking her mind. Prove you're no better than Her Holy Highness." Harm a woman...? Was she really that weak of a person? "If something like that harms her, she doesn't even deserve to be called a woman. For fourteen years, I witnessed the people of Yelaria insult my mother, calling her a 'whore' and treating her like she was lower than the cobblestone streets everyone walks on because her son was a 'b*****d'. You don't think we can hear you and your families whisper about us behind out backs, but we can. And if she can't deal with a few scrapes and a bruised ego, then she should abandon the title of 'Woman' altogether."

"I am not useless." Alencia had rose from the ground and had pretty much attacked the woman who had come to her aid. "I am plenty capable of taking care of myself." Not to long after that exchange both women dispersed, with Alencia going straight back to barking orders, and Celeste leaving momentarily and coming back with a bottle of wine. "It seems like Her Royal Highness certainly appreciated a white knight like yourself protecting her, Fire. Welcome to The Espers: Pick a side, deal with your choices. If you think things are going to get easier and people are going to get along, you better pray to the Guardians every night that your pipe dream comes true." While Nate was a self proclaimed connoisseur of alcohol (Or rather, he drank whatever was given to him), he figured that asking for any at all would be pointless. Especially considering they had a fight only a few moments ago. "...our discussion now needs to be on [********] night watch. We'll split into pairs, two for two hours of the night, and then we'll wake up the next rotation. I will take Alvain with me on my shift." The Shadow Esper, who was tending to Damir when Nate got caught up with the Fire Esper took the initiative to volunteer herself with Damir. "I can look after the invalid." Though with Damir taken, he figured his only other choice would be... “I can take watch with Zari.” ...nevermind. Which left him with the Fire Esper. Well, this would certainly be awful, to say the very least. If it was up to him, he's work a two hour shift alone. In fact, considering his attitude form earlier, maybe he could get away with it. "I'll do a shift alone. I think it'd be a lot easier on everyone, especially myself. Fire can sleep eight hours, and no one has to deal with an aggressive hooligan like myself."

[sorry squids]

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▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬ [ The Lightning Esper ]

✘✘ DOING: being an invalid ✘ WHERE: camp ✘ WITH: espers, bear, prized quail ✘ MOOD: exhausted, relieved, slightly insulted✘dundun

Damir couldn't help but release a small breath of relief as Nathaniel spoke, as the Light Esper not as entirely pissed as he had been with Alencia. She'd apparently "gotten under his skin" with whatever it was she said but, hell, he probably wasn't alone in that one. Upon thinking in retrospect, the place hadn't been very, well, bright and cheery when he was waking up, had it? Damir wasn't so spiteful as to deem Alencia the cause, but she helped nothing. "I suppose you're right, Damir. We should be eating instead of fighting among ourselves." That was when the real relief set in - particularly, given that Nathaniel agreed on the fact they should be eating. Food was currently one of his key concerns, and it cheered him up considerably to know that his friend had the same priorities. Plus, in his periphery, he saw Evelyn cutting up some steaks to roast for them. Obviously she, too, was being smart here. "I'm completely fine. Actually, you should be a bit more worried about yourself," Nathaniel added. "I did what I could to tend to your wounds, but you're likely to have a few battle scars from that fight." At the mention of scars, his fingers unconsciously brushed over the notch in his ear. Was that was Nathaniel was referring to? Ah, that probably wouldn't grow back to normal, would it? How did a bear even manage that...? he asked himself, growing more and more uncertain of the fact that it was in fact the bear but finding no other explanation for the wound. For Nathaniel, he chirped happily, "I can handle a couple scars, if I'm already healed up! I'm absolutely fine!" Though, for all the confidence he put in those words, somebody was actually pushing against him to keep his legs from falling out beneath him - oh, it was the Shadow Esper again. When did she get there? What was she doing? He shot her a puzzled glance, stood up straighter so that he wasn't using her help, then considered she was offering to be a crutch of her own will and he leaned on her uncertainly, then decided he didn't require help and pushed off again. Despite that, she was fairly determined to ensure he remained upright, even if he moved away. "Also, your quail." That caught his attention, the mention of his treasured quail. "It should be in the bear skin, next to another present for you." That caught his attention even more. "I've heard stories that warriors who slay animals like bears would often eat their hearts in order to gain their strength and courage. I don't know if it's true, but if you want to try it, it's there for you." He positively lit up at the idea of Nate's present. He stood up straighter, both proud and excitable, like he was receiving some great praise, but the sudden movement momentarily ruined whatever balance he'd been maintaining, and he actually did require the use of the Shadow Esper to keep from tumbling. Regardless, and despite his clear exhaustion, he was thrumming with anticipation at the idea of eating an actual bear heart. He was like a warrior! "I'll definitely eat it!" he exclaimed, still attempting to fully regain his balance but otherwise incredibly cheerful.

On the subject of water, the Shadow Girl said, "C'mere. You can just use mine for the time being," She tugging on his arm in a sign even he knew meant "we're going this way now." "Huh?! But the bear!" he protested, refusing to move from where he stood. He wanted to see the bear heart! And the quail! Evelyn was still cutting them up, but he could at least look at them and get them over the fire - "How DARE you." The words were so sharp that it took a long moment for Damir to identify the speaker as Celeste Eldridge. He stared at her, visibly very startled, as she stood up  to Nathaniel, and then his gaze drew to the campfire. It absolutely blazed towards the heavens, right in tune with its master, and he realized that however enraged Nathaniel had been, Celeste was quite easily matching it. His own concern once again flared up, and he opened his mouth to talk, only to be muted by Celeste's scathing chastising. "She may be a crazy b***h, and she may have said some harsh words, but what gives YOU the right to respond with force? You've got muscle, and power but you can't handle a couple of words?" "Celeste, she obviously doesn't really care, let's just -" He dropped the point abruptly. He had no clue what to say to diffuse her - after all, although the woman wasn't without a temper of her own, she wasn't usually so furious that she'd snap at someone like she was now. She'd always been nice to him, anyways. 

At that, their Espers of Shadows made use of his temporary shock at the outburst to pull him away from the scene. Whether it was her own strength or his current lack thereof, or some combination of both, he found he lacked much in the means and will to resist effectively to her manhandling. Well, actually, he did have the will, which he put towards whining. "Stop it, I can drink from there, I just need a little water, I'm fine -" He tried insisting several different allegations, some clearly dubious and none of which reached the Shadow Esper's ears. Instead, once they were far enough that she deemed it safe, she shoved down on his shoulders while he tried very valiantly to continue standing, but she won that battle, and eventually she managed to get him into a seated position. Certainly not lacking in spirit, the minute she turned her back to look for her water, he moved to again get back to where Celeste and Nathaniel were still arguing. His movements were slow and still clumsy from lack of, well, everything, and he only just got himself moving when she shoved a pouch in his direction. Water. That was water. "Here, drink this. It's fine, drink however much you need." And he did. Not really thinking on it, he hardly waited for her to finish what she was saying to down three quarters of the pouch's contents without stopping for breath, feeling only water rush down his throat as his body responded gratefully for the nourishment. "Feeling any better?" she asked, and it finally clicked. Oh, she was just so insistent on getting water and making him sit because she was worried. Well, then it all made sense. He was still a little irritated over being forced back, but he couldn't say he wasn't grateful for the concern. And... hadn't she been holding a weapon earlier? Back when he was by the tree... Had she been trying to protect him from the new guy, since he'd been unconscious...? Huh... "I'm probably overstepping here, but you really ought to be more careful. People won't always be around to carry you back to camp, and not everyone is always going to operate in your best interest." "But someone was there," he said, very matter-of-factly. "He's pretty reliable, isn't he? So if he's needed, he'll be there, and if he's not then someone else probably will. I mean, why would any of us abandon someone who needed help? You didn't." He wasn't really accounting for their actual held values - mostly, he believed it a natural instinct to help others as they needed, particularly people who he could only now deem to be comrades. Even Alencia and Alvain, who had zero intentions of making friends and perhaps saw the others as "a tedious necessity for survival," if they were to trip up in the castle, he'd help them without a thought. "'Sides, give me the bear heart and some rest and I'll be ready to go, since Nathaniel already healed up all my wounds, but I'm more worried about Nathaniel and Celeste. She doesn't really, you know, go off like that, usually." The words dropped off his tongue awkwardly as he watched their real Fire Esper stride off to her horse - when did they get a horse? - stride off to her horse, apparently looking for something. Nathaniel was still fuming, too, and the source of the discord, Eirik's "replacement," didn't appear too willing to intervene in anything, by the looks of it. They all must have been as exhausted as Damir himself, he figured, all in need of a decent meal and a couple hours of rest. "Whatever. Drop the whole topic," said Alencia with all that unearned authority, and Damir ignored everything after that so he could agree with her on that point. Seriously, I'd take the bear raw at this point... he thought. Can't we just eat and sleep...

"No, our discussion now needs to be on [********] night watch." said Alencia, as if giving his thoughts a vocal answer. Even in coincidental responses she was astoundingly contrary. "We'll split into pairs, two for two hours of the night, and then we'll wake up the next rotation. I will take Alvain with me on my shift." Alvain himself did not appear to resist this at all, and the one sound that left his lips could easily be interpreted as simple resignation. Still, resignation didn't mean "I am totally pumped and excited for not watch," and Damir felt a small pang of pity, watching the man. He still did nothing but accept the things around him, but surely he would put a little more effort into changing things if he really wanted them too? Or did he need a shove? Could Damir do something to help? He didn't know - and he really, really, disliked that feeling.

"I can look after the invalid," offered the Shadow Esper. Who here's an invalid? He took the time to consider this question, glancing from Esper to Esper, and then he noticed the thumb that was pointing in his direction, and then it occurred to him that he was the only person to whom she had paid a significant amount of attention since he had first woken up. "If I'm an invalid then you're not mother hen-ning over a couple of already healed wounds," he retorted. Really, he was more offended by the idea that somebody had looked over his bloodied, exhausted, food-deprived state and thought he was not at top working condition than he was by the idea he needed anyone playing mother hen. The flash of annoyance passed and he settled into pouting over her curt words. He was tired, not an invalid. "Anyways, can I have first or last watch? I'd pay money to not wake up more times than I have to," he said, making that his only comment on the matter. He would have greatly preferred to take watch with Nate, or Evelyn, or Celeste, but he was learning the Shadow Girl - whose name he should eventually ask before Shadow Girl just becomes what he calls her no matter her name - was only callous in outward personality. In morals and in heart she wasn't very lacking, from what he had seen; Damir wondered if the two were more alike there than he had originally presumed. For each action she took, he grew a little more curious about her. "I can take watch with Zari," said Evelyn, and his thoughts flicked back to night watch. So, Zari was the bandit... or the Earth Esper. That would be a less insulting title, maybe second only to his actual name. He was keeping close to Evelyn - not that Damir could blame him for it, sticking close to their nicest member when everyone else seemed so intent on fighting. As with Shadows, he looked towards the man with no clue what to expect from him and, rather than apprehension, it managed to inspire a little curiosity. Surely if he was going to cause trouble on purpose, he would have by now.

Ah, but that left Nathaniel with... "I'll do a shift alone," he said. "I think it'd be a lot easier on everyone, especially myself. Fire can sleep eight hours, and no one has to deal with an aggressive hooligan like myself." Damir wanted to protest, both to the self-deprecating description and to the offer in itself, because he knew Celeste was an honest and good person and wasn't likely to start more trouble during night watch, but he was still so uncertain on her, after seeing her so enraged. Surely her temper wouldn't last that long... 'Specially after some damn food. Maybe the sheer hunger clawing at his stomach like a rabid animal in a cage was making him a little biased towards the beneficial effects of food on the team mood, but he was very convinced some good meat and some good cheer would be a great bandage to put on this whole situation. It shouldn't take too long for the meat to cook; worry about any issues leftover after that. 


✘ ✘ ✘ ✘ ✘ ✘

[Fading Apprehension]

The wine had felt good in the back of the Fire Esper's throat. The taste of grapes lingered on her tongue, the cool liquid turning and bubbling in her otherwise empty stomach. She pulled her knees up to her chest, appreciatively eying the misshapen rocks that lined the crackling fire. It was easy to relish the temporary calm knowing that the next trial would be upon them soon enough. The caustic exchange between herself and Nate had been another bitter awakening for the girl. The Espers were not immune to internal plight, regardless of whether or not they were tasked with the fate of humanity. Unfortunately for humankind they were indeed entirely responsible, and they were producing less than spectacular results so far. 'I'll try harder. We have enough mischief without me adding to the mix.' Celeste had no idea if the resolution would be difficult to keep. She had gone a large portion of her life keeping her pet peeves secret, but her willpower had never been tested the way it had been tested by Nate. For claiming to know anything about women, he had a shockingly low level of respect for personal boundaries. Besides, gender had little to do with her reasoning. She would have been enraged even if the target of his outburst had been a male. The other Espers had reacted to her anger much in the way she had expected them to. They offered her mix of looks ranging from confusion to slight irritation. A couple of them had voiced protests, every one drowned beneath the intensity of her rage. Every time Celeste thought she could finally move on she would find herself reliving the incident, with fragments of Nate's retorts ringing throughout her mind. Everything felt so simple to the woman in hindsight, yet in the heat of the moment it had been anything but.

She let out another shaky sigh before turning her attention back to Alencia, who had completely ditched the damsel in distress act for her usual haughty air. "Whatever. Drop the whole topic. I can handle my ******** self, and once we get done with this dumb a** castle and half of this stupid group falls in there, I will be so grateful that I don't have to deal with you idiots anymore." Celeste rolled her eyes, chewing on the corner of her lip to prevent herself from talking back. She was trying to pull herself out of her slump, and Alencia was proving to make the task difficult. 'Enough of that for tonight. It might serve me better to just tune her out, and imagine she's saying something ridiculous.' That would be a simple enough test of willpower and imagination. "No, our discussion now needs to be on ******** night watch." Alencia being vulgar and demanding was of little interest to Celeste. She tilted her head back and contemplated a more fitting statement for a girl of the Water Esper's stature. 'My name is Alencia, I love friendly goats. I'm really only an insufferable brat because my goat died in a terrible accident. Please be my friend.' Celeste nodded to herself in approval. That had to be it, right? The following statement directly effected her and proved harder to make a stupid, childish joke out of, "We'll split into pairs, two for two hours of the night, and then we'll wake up the next rotation. I will take Alvain with me on my shift." Celeste could only describe Alvain's following expression as despondent. She felt sorry for the man but she knew there was little to be done, especially considering Alencia's borderline disgusted reaction when she had jumped to her defense. No, it would take more than a few minutes before Celeste voluntarily put herself in the path of that particular whirlwind. 'Who's to say my help is even wanted?' Her earlier game was long forgotten and she was rapidly approaching her capacity for human interaction.

"I can look after the invalid." She recognized the calm and collected voice from earlier, Celeste's amber gaze settled back onto the Esper of Shadows. The woman gestured toward the now resting Damir. "If I'm an invalid then you're not mother hen-ning over a couple of already healed wounds. Anyways, can I have first or last watch? I'd pay money to not wake up more times than I have to." He definitely seemed to be coming around, Celeste felt a small rush of amusement as he fidgeted under the almost protective presence of Presea. 'We could all learn a thing or two from them,' she thought to herself while she rolled the bottle between her hands. “I can take watch with Zari." Eve was the next to stake her claim, her nimble hands making quick work of cleaning the blood from her knife as she finished butchering the bear meat. As frail and unassuming as Evelyn was she was at least not afraid to get her hands dirty. Celeste could only hope that trait carried over into the battle field. She hadn't noticed the Light Esper approach her, she only turned to look when her horse let out an agitated snort. The mare raked her hoof through the grass, her long white tail quickly flicking both in irritation and to defend herself from the gathering of bugs on her hindquarters.

"It seems like Her Royal Highness certainly appreciated a white knight like yourself protecting her, Fire." The comment was a bothersome one, but not one that enraged her. Celeste felt that was a good step. She could deal with mildly annoying, she could not deal with needlessly volatile. Nate seemed oblivious to the way his words grated on her nerves, "Welcome to The Espers: Pick a side, deal with your choices. If you think things are going to get easier and people are going to get along, you better pray to the Guardians every night that your pipe dream comes true." Celeste stopped rolling the bottle in the grass and drew a deep breathe between her teeth before turning to face the male, "Well Captain Cynicism, considering you only have half a day of experience over me it might be wise to save your advice for someone who needs it." She clicked her tongue against the back of her teeth before continuing on in an steady tone, "Welcome to life after childhood, adults don't pick sides. I'll deal with my choices because it's the right thing to do. I hope you'll try and do the same." She was selective with her words, hoping that it would save them the trouble of going through another spat. She felt a brick of anxiety drop in her stomach as she scanned the clearing again and mentally counted off the pairs for night watch. Celeste had spent the bulk of the last ten minutes brooding, and she was paying for it by spending quality time with the source of her guilt and agitation.

"I'll do a shift alone. I think it'd be a lot easier on everyone, especially myself. Fire can sleep eight hours, and no one has to deal with an aggressive hooligan like myself." It was a tempting prospect, Celeste had to admit. She let a moment or two pass in silence before she tucked her bottle back into the side of her bag and shuffled to her feet. Despite the absence of her family she could hear her father's reproach, 'Buck up princess, this is your own doing.' He was right; the disembodied voices of her parents were always right. "That's not necessary," her voice wavered and she cleared her throat before continuing on, "I'd rather not force you to heal someone to death." She found herself wishing she could retract a joke for the second time that evening. The statement was extremely inappropriate given their current situation. "Two hooligans has to be better than one, anyway." She finished as weakly as she started, 'Smooth recovery, Celeste.' It was going to be an interesting evening, but she couldn't dwell on the fact as her mind was clouded with the need for rest. Much to her dismay the bear was still raw, but she had provisions in her bag for later. Besides, if anyone did happen to cook she was certain her portion would still be there when she awoke. She plucked the larger of her two bags from their place at her feet and pulled out the thin blanket her mother had packed her. "Wake me when it's our turn." The woman sat down and then sprawled herself across the cool dirt. She rested her head on her bags and clutched the scratchy, thin blanket to her body. It wasn't as comforting as her bed, or her warm wool spun shawl but it would do for the few hours of rest she was permitted. Slowly the sounds of her comrade's hushed voices faded away, leaving her to her dreams of the humble home and yard full of happy, clucking chickens that she left behind.


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❥ FEELING: Sleeping tab ❥ WITH: All of the Espers and a horse tab ❥ LOCATION: The clearing tab ❥ OOC: Tell me if I need to change this~ Sorry if it's inappropriate.

[Cynotastic]

ThoughtTalking

Her legs continued to parade her around the small clearing as her eyes bounced from one person to the next listening for any other statements regarding night watch or anything else she deemed as important. After she had finished speaking, her gaze had landed onto Alvain. Alencia had seen his mouth move, but due to her distance at the time he uttered words, she did not hear what he had said. Which, at the end of the day, she was completely fine with. Though, what she had noticed as she rounded about camp was the fact he looked somewhat shocked and conflicted in what she had stated. However, when the man had cleared his throat, her eyes continued to skirt around the area as her legs carried her around the perimeter. "I can look after the invalid." The Water Esper's gaze moved onto Presea as she nodded in acceptance, but, it Damir was against that idea. "If I'm an invalid then you're not mother hen-ning over a couple of already healed wounds." Alencia scoffed at the man's comment, though it was silly in nature. After all, Presea had been strangely attached to the man since she regained consciousness. Perhaps overly so. However, it wasn't her concern. Whatever feelings others had she didn't care of. "Anyways, can I have first or last watch? I'd pay money to not wake up more times than I have to." "Sure, whatever." The Water Esper agreed rather easily. She was losing energy to pick fights. She was losing energy to care outside of her own desire to pair with Alvain. The order didn't particularly matter to her. What mattered was food.

As she passed by the Bandit Earth Esper and Evelyn, her ears picked up the bits of conversation that had passed between them. But, for the most part, she looked at the raw slabs of meat that were sitting in front of the "woman". However, she had no energy to really heckle the woman further, no, instead she simply wanted to throw those steaks into the fire and cook them. After pausing in her steps a moment, she thought over the importance of words that the woman had spoke. “I can take watch with Zari.” Her gaze moved off of the stupid woman and onto the man next to her as she registered his name with his appearance. "Tch." Of course the Bandit wants to be with the man, she'd be the easiest to take down and least likely to pick a fight with him. I won't be surprised if she lets him scavenge through our belongings in our sleep. Alencia mused as she glared daggers at the man before continuing on her path. Next, her cerulean eyes settled onto the Fire Esper who had defended her earlier. If her count was correct the brunette and the pathetic oaf were the only two who were not claimed. And though, internally, the Water Esper favored Celeste to the man, at the very least the pair of eyes could set on each other and ensure no funny business would take place. However, seeming to be uncomfortable with the idea, the Light Esper spoke. "I'll do a shift alone. I think it'd be a lot easier on everyone, especially myself. Fire can sleep eight hours, and no one has to deal with an aggressive hooligan like myself." Though, before Alencia was able to voice her concerns about the man taking a shift alone, she found her gaze skirting back to the trees that were surrounding them in order to avoid looking at the man again.

But, it seemed that Celeste had already decided to say something. "That's not necessary." Since she had walked away from the woman, she found a hard time keeping her gaze focused on her. Alencia continued to round the area before settling down back on the log that she and Alvain had seemed to fight over, she crossed her arms over her chest before locking her gaze onto the woman. "I'd rather not force you to heal someone to death." "Hah!" The Water Esper nearly shouted as she pointed a finger at the Fire Esper. Especially considering the fact that it was pointing out a fatal weakness in the man's power. He could heal he could not injure. It was hilarious, but apparently the other woman felt it fell flat. Celeste attempted to recover, but it seemed like it fell flat. "Two hooligans has to be better than one, anyway." It was then the Water Esper stopped caring.

Alencia's own eyes rolled back onto the chunks of meat that were calling her name. Her hunger was becoming to strong. Raising back to her feet, she reached up and grabbed ripped some sticks off one of the nearby trees. After collecting a handful of them she walked over to Presea where she requested the woman to strip the bark off the sticks and sharpen them into skewers. It took a little bit of convincing, but eventually she did as requested. Then, as the woman slowly finished off each spike, Alencia stabbed the meat with the long object and dangled it over the fire. She cooked all of them, passing the sticks off to Alvain who she instructed to pass them out as she felt fit. For the most part the meat was over cooked and not particularly delicious, but it was at least some food in her stomach and protein to help remedy the lacking energy from using her powers as well as the awakening in general. Between chomps and chewing, Alencia made sure to continued to state out demands. "So." Her mouth opened wide as she gnawed off another chunk of the bear meat. "Night watch order." She spat out before swallowing the mouthful. "Presea and Damir can have the first watch. As per Lightning boy's request." She stated as she took another bite. It was tough, difficult to chew, and probably closer to jerky than she had anticipated, regardless, it was edible. "Then Celeste and Nate, followed by Alvain and I. With Evelyn and Zari as the final pair." She summarized as she shot a glare to the Earth Esper. He still hadn't proved his powers and she knew it would be difficult for her to let him have a shift before her. After all, with her watch being before his she could take an inventory of their belongings and ensure the man didn't take off with them.

It wasn't very long after she scarfed down the meal that she had laid down in front of the log and claimed it as her area to rest for the night. It only took a few minutes before Alencia successfully fell asleep. After all, due to how much her emotions were fueled with anger, and two panic attacks over her exposed skinned companions, it was ridiculous. However, she was quite thankful for sleep, and it might have even been evident by the small smile that resided on her lips as she lost her holds on consciousness and embraced the hold of sleep.



After Alencia had been a sleep for a few hours, she had heard one of the other Espers push on her and cause the two tone haired woman to be awoken from her slumber. Her cerulean eyes flew open and she discovered the person who had awoken her was none other than Celeste. Grunting, Alencia sat up and narrowed her eyes on the woman before sneering and pushing herself up off of the cold ground. Her hand pressed against her hair as she collected her bags and moved over close to where Alvain had been sleeping. Glancing back over her shoulder, the Water Esper spotted Celeste moving into another stop then quickly easing herself to sleep. reaching within her own back, Alencia pulled out the thin blanket that was resting in the very bottom of her sack. Keeping it folded she held onto it with both hands before dropping it on to the Esper of Beasts' face. "Hey, get up. It's our turn." She said, though, she was unsure if the man was already awake or not. Though, she really didn't care. "You can use that blanket when we're done. I don't need it." Alencia growled as she returned her gaze to her bag and began to dig through it again. Her eyes flicked onto the bundle of fabric as she silently hoped that the man was somewhat awake when she went through with the action, but, if not... Then, at least he would for sure wake up with an adrenaline rush of being smothered...? No, that doesn't sound like a great way to start out their shift. Regardless, she had already gone through with the action so it was too late to go back now.


☸ COMPANY:: Espers -> Interacting with Alvain cyno ☸ LOCATION:: Forest Campgrounds cyno ☸ EMOTIONS:: Partially awake cyno ☸ OOC:: And there is the transition into night shift!

[DeFehrenheit]

TR
TRAFF ↘↘ EVERY RIVER THAT I'VE《 TRIED 》TO CROSS traff and every door i ever tried was locked
tra ██████ ██████ TRA♔ ┆I JUST GOT LOST ⇝ !!

traff JUST BECAUSE IM LOSINGtraff DOESNT MEAN IM LOST trafftraff DOESNT MEAN ILL STOP traffkl DOESNT MEAN IM IN A CROSS traff AND IM JUST WAITING TIL THE FIRING STOPS
traffkl JUST BECAUSE IM LOSINGtraff DOESNT MEAN IM LOST trafftraff DOESNT MEAN ILL STOP traff DOESNT MEAN IM IN A CROSS traff AND IM JUST WAITING TIL THE FIRING STOPS
trafflight trafflight/ // // TRAFF OOOHOOH ; --- » AND IM WAITING TILL THE SHINE WEARS OFF

Zari hadn't mentioned it, but he was more than grateful for the fire esper. The warmth radiating off of the pit of flames she'd created provided a sheet of protection against the exposed flesh the male had chosen to share. The attire not specifically chosen for any reason in particular as he'd expected his day to run completely the same as any other day he'd lived in the small town of Yeleria. A simple venture into the forest being returning back to his living quarters - but obviously that hadn't been the case anymore. With the death of that Elrik person, his plans had been altered in a great fashion. Thus, now he would spend the rest of the night half freezing to death with nothing more than an inventory belt, boots and... well, underwear. He didn't mind bearing all of himself to the rest of the pions surrounding him, he only cared about wearing something to keep warm. There had been a change of clothing in his bag, but to hell if he'd sleep in those. No, he'd have to simply wander into a bath in the morning and change then. He would be easier to clean and dry than the second option of clothing.

The crackling of the flames in the not so far distance helped to put him at ease somewhat - as he was hardly able to drown out the sounds of petty bickering and squabbles happening behind him. Team, right? He would have to question if there'd been a leader appointed or not, but from the conversations bouncing between each of the members, it had become something of an obvious answer. Had there been a leader, they were doing a piss poor job. Just as the flames helped to calm his nerves though, the somewhat halfhearted smile the pixie girl gave towards him was only an added bonus. His own disposition fading for now to dance a curve against the edge of his lips. Her airy and calm personality was a far contrast from the other members of the group he'd gotten to 'know' so far, but that rough edge about her kept the usual meekness he'd hadn't exactly expected at bay. Even with the cut grazed against her finger, she'd simply spoken a word before placing it to her lips to clean the surface rather than whine and cry about it. He hadn't meant to stereotype her, but in the city he was from, girl's typically didn't get 'dirty'.

As his name slipped from her lips, Zari dropped the ever growing smile against his own only to form something of an 'o' as if questioning her silently. She'd only repeated what he'd said, but he could feel more of a 'lecture' coming on than her simply trying to remember something for later. Something being his name. "..it might do some good to, um… just do a little something with your power. Just to put everyone at ease....you know?" Though he'd been nothing but polite to her up to this moment, the pale haired wonder couldn't help but knit his brows together at the response. He could feel the sincerity in her voice and the honesty was well appreciated, but he'd had enough of this proving himself to these people. If he'd wanted to put anyone at ease, he wouldn't have bothered to come out in the first place. He'd been called a bandit and thief numerous times for no reason as he hadn't stolen anything yet and he'd already stated his purpose as well as the flame-head who'd recently stumbled onto them. To them, he may have been an outsider. But to him, these people weren't providing much detail of themselves, nor had they proved much of anything asides words.

The shadow girl had been an exception.

"To put them at ease," he repeated quietly. Looking amongst the group of espers who'd already known one another and seeing how at ease they'd been so far, Zari simply shook his head with a small chortle escaping him. "right." Instead of responding with an answer, he'd decided to remain silent on the matter. She'd only meant well by her words. When offered the chance to use his powers to cook the meal, Zari knitted his brows once again. Something to cook the meat on? Weren't there sticks around they could simply push their individual pieces on and place over the fire the girl had made? They were so caught up into themselves that they probably wouldn't even notice him using his powers to help out with their meal anyway. Deciding to join her, Zari looked onto the other members of the group. There was no way they were going to survive this trip. Thinking back to the disappointment of the people of Yeleria, Zari hadn't noticed the invisible frown his lips had formed into. A subtle turn, but something that was there. A sigh escaped his lips. "They were right."

The water esper, he would learn was named Alencia, had called for attention towards a night watch. Not only was he put off by the fact that their water esper had been the complete opposite of the flowing stream he'd imagine her to be (perhaps she represented another flowing stream?), but the idea of a 'night watch' had been anything but pleasurable. The tightening of his jaw only lasted a split second, but if that wasn't noticed, maybe the eye roll that followed was. The last thing he wanted was to watch these people sleep while he paraded around yawning and fighting a battle himself. Yes, he was an earlier waker, but the night had lasted far longer than his usual ventures. This was going to be a headache.

Or maybe not.

Before he'd even had a chance to think, Evelyn spoke up. Not only that, but she'd called his name out. Jaw slightly agape, Zari turned to face the girl, one hand against the ground for support. Was she serious? Did this mean... what did it mean? As silver eye's scanned over the pixie-type, he wasn't sure what to say exactly. A sound came out, but no literal words. Though, he wasn't sure if he'd been more shocked at hearing her announce his name to the others so carelessly, or that she'd chosen him. Whatever her reason had been, Zari remained grateful for her existence in the group and simply gave a nod to her, then turned to Alencia and gave another nod towards her. "Heh…, well, at least I wasn't the last one picked on the team. Thanks." What he was thanking her for exactly, he wasn't sure, but for some reason it felt right.





His back facing towards the center of the now fading fire pit, Zari watched out into the surrounding space. There wasn't much to see asides tree's, grass and the open patch of dirt that they'd used for the campsite - but these were the things he usually spent the average day taking in anyway. Investing in the calm nature of things, the chirping of critters living peacefully among one another while the night air calmed the world into a slumber. A mutual sign of peace. They all needed to rest... and for this moment, the Earth Esper embraced being the only one to experience this moment. This right now. Sadly, enough time had passed between the previous teams efforts in keeping the crew safe and now it was time to share this moment with his new partner. "Hey, Evy?" Not having run the name by the girl, he'd chosen to call her this anyway. A hushed tone as not to wake the others, but strong enough to alert her that it had been time to wake up. He'd given her a free moment or so to rest a little longer, but not entirely for the selfish reason of having his own personal moment of silence. Partly, he felt it was a way of paying her back for her kindness and volunteering him onto her team. Night watch with one of the others hadn't exactly been on the highest of his list of dreams and wishes. "Evyyyy… it's time to wake up!" His hand this time decided to reach out and grab onto her shoulder, pushing forward and pulling back to gently wake her from her slumber.





XXXEsper ! Earth. • •




▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰
XXXXX With ⊱ Evelyn XXX Where ⊱ Camp Site XXX Ooc ⊱
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XXXXXXXXXXXXXzαяι cнεяε ▬▬

[Promise of Bliss]

cynosuralcataclysm11▸LOCATION: Clearing cy||no ▸MOOD: Calm, placid



Presea pulled Damir carefully after her as she left the conflict (it was not terribly difficult to lead him anywhere; he didn't have much of a fight left in him after whatever he had been through). The two carried on their conversation as if they were not being separated slowly but steadily, and the Shadow Esper was perfectly content to allow them to continue uninterrupted until Nathaniel announced the contents of his "present" to Damir. "I've heard stories that warriors who slay animals like bears would often eat their hearts in order to gain their strength and courage. I don't know if it's true, but if you want to try it, it's there for you." A... a heart? Absurd... She had heard the same stories from Ravenor growing up, but it had never occurred to her to take the story literally. They were parables that were meant to instruct the masses and teach an overall lesson; in this instance, it was that you can gain prowess and strength of being by becoming self-sufficient and brave by facing your fears, by taking on the characteristics of that which you fear most. But clearly the boy-bloody did not understand this tale of scruples any more than the Light Esper himself. Damir lit up vibrantly, as if Nathaniel had presented him instead with a goblet of immortality rather than a strange, vaguely creepy gesture of bonding via a dead animal; she'd heard of giving another your "heart", but she'd imagined it'd always be figurative, not literal in the form of consuming its essence in sinews and course muscle... "I'll definitely eat it!" he crowed. Had he more energy, she was doubtful that he would not have done a heel-click in response... he seemed like that variety of chipper... She knit her brow dubiously, only half facing him as they arrived at the blanket. "You... you do know that the bear heart thing is a metaphor, right...?" she muttered, knowing he was likely too involved in his complaining to hear her. She rolled her eyes. Somehow, she was not surprised...

For all his pissing and moaning that he was fine, that he could handle himself, he certainly did not hesitate to consume the majority of her available water for himself. She smirked, a certain vindictive mirth gleaming in her eyes.. It was juvenile at best, but she still marked this down as a small victory. For all of his bravado and valiancy, he was still doing what she told him to; she was not the type to lord over others, but there was always a certain satisfaction to be had when one obeyed her. She chastised him lightly while he breathed, relaxing after he chugged the water. His oceanic eyes met hers as she explained that he needed to be more careful; it seemed her words would have no effect. As if stating indisputable fact, he retorted, "But someone was there." She closed her eyes, sighing. Yes, this time, but- "He's pretty reliable isn't he? So if he's needed, he'll be there--" He was missing the point entirely. She had not been trying to attack Nathaniel's credibility-- he seemed entirely capable, and she had no doubt that he would be there if needed (whether he would berate you for needing him later was still up for debate, and whether she would want to endure his wrath for the sake of his help was doubtful, but he would be there). She had no reason to doubt him thus far, and while she hated it, she tended to give people the benefit of the doubt... Damir was quickly losing that benefit as he went on. "--and if he's not then someone else probably will. I mean, why would any of us abandon someone who needed help?" Presea lifted a pale hand to her face, pinching the bridge of her nose and sighing. Nope. He didn't get it. And it wasn't her place to try to fill him in. His naivety was impressive. Perhaps it was just that she had never had the luxury to be so blatantly stupid, or maybe she was just jaded by her experiences. The idea of being so unaware that, at the end of the day, you were alone, that you had to look out for your own back because no one else would, just did not make sense to her. She had always been one to assert that, regardless of how powerful and capable a person was, at the end of the day a shred of self-preservation still remained. In one response, Damir had run that entire hypothesis into the ground. Someone so lacking in self awareness... it was unfathomable. It was problematic. It was inconvenient. How troublesome... If it were up to her, she'd dub that he did not seem to have the little voice in his head, warning him away from danger... "You didn't." For a moment, she was captivated with the idea that she had not, in fact, been the Esper of Shadow, but of Fire. What else could explain the heat that blossomed over her cheeks? She hated when people insinuated that she cared for them. It was obvious that she did. She had feelings, and whether she was happy with being forced to be an Esper, being forced to shack up with a bunch of strangers to go jaunting off into the wild yonder, being ripped away from her life and forced into one that would ostracize her from her loved ones-- none of that mattered. What mattered was that she was here, and had decided to attempt to make the most of her circumstances by way of replacing her previous life with the one she was being constrained to. She was trying, in her own convoluted and backward way, to forge relationships. And it was unacceptable for him to attempt to acknowledge that so quickly. The fire was thankfully at her back, hiding her face from view, but she dropped her head for good measure. Her bangs swished before her eyes, shadowing her from his view. She gave a soft "Tch." As she turned from him, pulling her knees up to her chest and wrapping her arms around them. It would do the Naive Do-Gooder no favors to start thinking she was a reputable ally. Thus far, she felt no union to this rag-tag group of idiots... the last thing she needed was for him to rely on her for something and have her fall short. She was no altruist, and at the end of the day, if it was her skin or his, she'd see to herself. I'm exactly the sort of person you need to be wary of. she pondered ruefully. Her grip on her knees tightened. She had no time to worry about him.

"I can look after the invalid."

It seemed Damir did not like her choice of descriptive terms. He puffed out his chest, chiding, "If I'm an invalid, then you're not mother hen-ing over a couple of already healed wounds." Her spine straightened, and she swiveled her head at whip-lash speed to glare at him. Oh hell no. Without a thought, she reached out, smacking his head with just enough force to make a sound. She didn't want to hurt the dweeb, but she did want to assert a point. "Don't show up in such a sorry state and people wouldn't have to." she riposted. "And if you're in such tip-top shape, then maybe you should take watch alone, Bleedy. Clearly don't need my help." She was tempted to steal back her waterskin, but decided against it. Perhaps invalid had been too harsh... He had been injured, but was not entirely destitute. Invalid probably felt like an attack from any person at this point. Regardless, it was done and she was not about to apologize for the statement. He would get over it.

"I can take watch with Zari." Evelyn spoke, putting specific emphasis on the b*****d's apparent name. She glowered across the clearing. Zari... She mulled over the name, and came to the abrupt conclusion that she didn't like it. Presea had never considered herself one for nicknames, but perhaps he had earned one... she'd have to think on it. It seemed fitting that he would cower behind the pacifist... She huffed discontentedly, flipping her hair out of her eyes and looking away. Come morning, she would be over her sour mood with regard to him. Whatever they were, he had his reasons for being a stuck-up, condescending piss-ball of a man to her. If she was to survive, she needed to believe these people could be comrades. Unfortunately, Zari was no exception... but that didn't mean she had to be happy about it.

"I'll do a shift alone." She looked briefly to Nathaniel before losing interest. He was explaining his reasoning, but she was not terribly inclined to care. If he wanted to take watch alone, more power to him; it was his funeral. Though she couldn't be surprised that no one was bouncing up and down to join him. Alencia was shooting down the idea, though. Presea should have known he wouldn't get away with "defying authority". In that moment, she was pleased that she had already established herself as a quiet member of the group, because while she was a genuine person, she was not well liked for her opinions. It was not useful to anyone for her to be candied with her speech. Straight honesty, though, was commonly met with unhappiness, so she kept her dialogue to herself.

"Presea and Damir can have the first watch. As per Lightning boy's request." Alencia announced with a certain finality. Splendid. She was not certain if the thought was sarcastic or not. She supposed it could have been worse... She absently hoped Damir would not prove her wrong.



After some goading, Presea had made pikes for the group to cook their food on. It had seemed inconsequentially easy of a task, and it made no sense for her to contribute to a meal she wanted no part of, but she supposed it would not hurt to demonstrate some sort of one-ness with the group. Still, she did not linger. Upon finishing her task, she disengaged from them. Presea moved back to her blanket, deciding to busy herself with quite literally nothing until the time of her watch rolled about. She was perfectly content to limit her association with anyone. If she kept to herself, no fights would break out... at least none that were directed with her. And that would suit her purposes just fine.

It was a momentary eternity that lead up to the shift starting. But all too quickly, everyone else was asleep, and Presea was seated squarely in front of the fire. Her constantly vigilant eyes panned over the resting forms before her. Damir was nearby, no doubt. She was not terribly taken with idle conversation, though. It had never really been her forte to engage in small talk, and she was not going to make a stupid attempt at it now. Besides, she was plenty enthralled by monitoring the surroundings. Whether it be considering the kaleidoscopic group they had accumulated, or observing the impressive view of the world's clarity in the dimness, she had plenty to engage her mind. It was not in her interest to waste this time building some sort of fabricated bond between her and an apparent ally. No, her mind was on her work, and would be for the remaining two hours of her shift.


Maytime Marionette



▸COMPANY: Espers --& Damircy||no ▸OOC: Let me know if I need to change anything!

[Scrivener_Lost]

The haze of conversations between the other Espers created a fog around the Animal Esper as he continued to sit on the log with nothing between him and the dirt but the chilly evening air as he appeared to be content with ignoring all else around him. In all earnest, he had grown tired of listening to everyone and their voices as they bickered and fought. It was not that the fighting itself was a problem so much as their actual vocalizations that was wearing him out just as they had in the afternoon. Enhanced hearing... Now that he had sanctioned himself away from everyone and essentially shut himself out from the conversations flying around him, Alvain could finally take time to internalize the preposterous day that taken his pampered life hostage and cast it against the ground like a glass rod. Nothing would be the same. Ever. Everything had changed so dramatically in the span of twenty-four hours, the Preston heir could hardly believe what was going on around him. Now, as his adrenaline began to fade and leave him with a bitter cold that seeped through the veins that had been on fire all day, Alvain was given the unique opportunity to truly take in what was going on around him. There were facts now that Alvain had to come to terms with as much as he wished to deny their existence. He was the Esper of Beasts. This much was confirmed by the wretched sign that had been etched onto his skin by the hands of the Gods. He was destined to fight the previous Animal Esper and either dethrone the Guardian or die trying. He was no longer an heir of Preston lineage, but now he was the heir to the Beast guardian. It was not a title he wanted. At all. And yet, deep inside, he was conflicted on the matter as it had been his mother's dream to see her son stand tall and carry the elite religion upon his shoulders. She had told him over and over again that there was no greater pride than to be hailed as one who would take on the pilgrimage of the Espers. Back then, before his beloved mother had died, Alvain had actually once considered that despite his glaring lack in physical and social prowess, his intellect would have been enough to stave up any glaring holes that was left behind in his growth as a person.

Of course, this had all been before he had truly read through nearly every book about the Guardians and the history that had formed Yelaria as a powerful religious doyen, before he found out what would have to happen before they were granted their powerful Guardianship. Lifting his violet eyes to the various bodies spread about the clearing, he gazed at each member of the Esper group for several minutes as they went about their petty squabbles blissfully unaware of the wretched fate that was waiting for all of them. He wondered, if they truly knew what was waiting for them beyond Castle Cethiena, would they all still be carrying on their stupid little arguments? Drawing his elbows onto the violin case and resting his chin in his palms, he continued to watch each person as they mulled about. The chipper Air Esper was busying herself with cutting up the deplorable mass of flesh and fat as the heir apparent to the Earth title pestered her with his name. Zari. Alvain scratched the inside of his ear as the various words and lexemes floated in and out, his hearing catching all the various bits and pieces of the topics. So. They all had names. Alencia, Zari, Celeste, Damir, Nate, Evelyn, and Presea. Whether it was through acquaintanceship, study of Yelaria's taxes and population, or through the ample use of their own mouths, Alvain had a secure hold on each title to each face. And with each face came notes and observations that the Animal Esper had made throughout the day. Nate and his frustrations with Alencia were something to look out for. He had appeared to be a relatively calm individual, but coupled with the senseless waste of hunting a bear, he was clearly a firecracker deep beneath that cheery smile and charming good looks. Damir was excitable and ran his mouth despite the hushed way he appeared to speak. He had a nervous look about him like he could not make up his mind whether to help or to let you drown. The defined and beautiful Earth esper, Zari; well, Alvain hadn't spent an entire day observing him, but in terms of the last few minutes, he was not sure how he felt about the man and the lack of concern he had over answering Presea's questions. Presea was trouble in and of herself. She was bossy and suffocatingly maternal, but only when she desired to show that side of herself. Thinking of her made Alvain's face itch with a reproachable blush. But she had an ego to match Alencia's. Alvain focused his eyes on the Water Esper as she skulked in the shadows of the bonfire, her mouth running as she gave commands about the nightwatch. Every time he looked at her he could feel a sour bubble float up from his stomach, threatening to burst in his gut and make him sick. She was crude, controlling, and psychotic. Why the Gods had chosen her to be an Esper made little sense. And then there was Evelyn. The kindhearted and soft spoken Air Esper was a liability. Her kindness was practically saturating everything she touched and he wondered if she had a mean bone in her body. There was a moment of passing sympathy as he thought, There is no way she will survive this.

But who was he kidding? It wasn't as though Alvain was any less prepared for this pilgrimage and just as Nate seemed content enough to protect the wispy girl, Alvain did not have such a knight in shining armor to keep him alive. If anything, he would be the first to disappear. Well, second if you counted Eirik's apparent death. Third, if you took Xeniel into consideration... Thinking about Eirik's untimely demise did not sit well with Alvain. Though he had invested very little into getting to know the man, it was not something that he enjoyed thinking about; the death of someone you knew. It made his rapid tapping of his foot against the ground continue. Death was very real out here and had already happened twice. It was painfully obvious that the Gods were not shy about taking away life whenever they deemed necessary. It made him wonder, Would they kill me as they saw fit? There were numerous ways a person could die out here. Injury, disease, natural disaster, thirst, hunger...the possibilities were endless and no matter what sort of horrible image came to mind, Alvain did not wish to experience any of them. However, there was one such event that could easily creep up on him and that was hunger. In fact, he could feel his stomach churning painfully as the night grew steeped in the darkness of the evening. With the talk of bears and bear hearts, it had reminded the Animal Esper that not only had Damir and Nate managed to bring back a slimy hide filled with bloody and tainted meat, but it had been a bear. Was there not some sort of unspoken code for the Esper of Beasts against eating the very element he ruled? Was he even allowed to partake in the consumption of animal flesh? The answer was only a hypothetical in question as he had already sworn off the intention of eating anything that was not produced by a schooled and educated cook. The entire time he watched as the group of Espers prepared the horrid meat, he could only reel back in disgust as they used their hands to manipulated sticks into spikes as they speared the flesh that had been sitting out, warm and decaying before setting it upon the fire. It had been enough that he had to smell the overwhelming scent of blood, he would now be forced to smell as that diseased flesh was cooked over an open flame. But the smell had quite the opposite effect on him. Instead of being disgusted, he could feel his mouth begin to water with the promise of food. The smell was absolutely ambrosial. And when Alencia had deposited the sticks of meat into his hands, he had only half a doubt of the meat's integrity and wanted nothing more than to sink his teeth into the crackling seared meat. However, his mind refused to leave him be and gently reminded him of the source of meat. A bear. Possibly rabid. Diseased meat. Not going to eat it. Instead, he would rather have broiled duck with salmon sauce. He would rather eat simmered greens than to risk the inevitable poisoning of the bacteria and parasites that would undoubtedly be in this meat.

Nearly as quickly as she had handed them to him, he had shoved them on someone else. It didn't matter who as long as they were out of his hands. There was no way he was going to eat that. He would rather starve to death. As the others ate, he watched with a vehement jealousy that was fueled with the irritation he had for himself. They seemed content enough to consume the wretched flesh of that bear while he sat thinking of all of the terrible and gross things they were putting in their bodies. Did they not care about that? Well, they will when they are up at all hours puking their guts out, Alvain thought sourly before taking his violin case and walking a few feet away from the log as Alencia seemed content to hijack it from him as her own personal bedding spot. He sat with his back against a large cold rock before crossing his arms over his chest with his hard leather case resting on his lap. From here, he could watch everyone as they conducted their night watch business by the fire since he was confident there was no way he would be sleeping. No. He was simply going to wait until they went to a town. There was no chance he was going to sleep on the dirty cold ground. He was above that. As Presea and Damir prepared for their shift, Alvain watched from his rock until the noise around them began to settle. However, what came next was far from what Alvain would ever wish upon his worst enemies. Instead of a sweet and lulling silence that would settle until morning, the night air was plagued with a constant hum of voices. Animal voices. He could hear them all. Hundreds of them chattering away as they carried on their business. It was infuriating. Racoons, badgers, mice, rats, foxes; hundreds of tiny voices all jabbering away and he could hear them all. There were even screams, laughter, and tears. The various sounds were carried to him from yards away. And for every loud snap or crash in the woodlands, Alvain would jump to his feet with his heart in his throat. There was no end to the ceaseless words and worries that plagued the Esper of Beasts until finally, at one point, the young man had to wrap his hands around his ears to block out the wretched sound.





What pathetic shreds of sleep he did get was broken and fragmented by the plethora of sounds that awakened him. When he realized he had been dozing, he would remind himself that he was better than sleeping in the dirt and force himself to stay awake, his ears picking up various bits of conversation from the others who did their watch. Eventually, coupled with his rising hunger, the need for sleep would outweigh his fight for consciousness despite his best efforts at keeping awake. It wasn't long until unconsciousness grabbed for him and refused to let go. However, it would appear that other forces were at work as within twenty minutes of sweet rest taking hold of him, something was tossed onto his face. Instantly fear drove the man to shoot up from his resting position against the rock as he clawed desperately at his face, his mind telling him something was attacking him. A squeak of terror escaped him as he grabbed the blanket with both hands and tossed it away from him, his face completely void of color as he panted madly, his glasses having fallen into his lap as his eyes danced madly about in search of the offending creature. "Hey, get up. It's our turn." Rapid pants came from him as his eyes darted from Alencia to the blanket and back to the Water Esper as his mind slowly put two and two together. He sat there for a minute as he watched the girl as she continued to dig into her bag. "You can use that blanket when we're done. I don't need it." Swallowing harshly, his orchid eyes slid back to the blanket as he frowned at the offending item before shooting her a harsh glare. "Are you insane?" He growled just before realizing that everyone was sleeping around him. But he didn't care. What she had done was completely uncalled for. He sat there for a minute as he pressed his hand against his rib cage, feeling as his heart ticked rapidly againsr his chest. "W-why would you do that? I thought I was being attacked!" He waited before his breathing returned to normal before slowly getting to his feet. He had decided hours ago that he would make Alencia do the shift by herself while he slept. But now, with his blood coursing through his veins, that was not going to happen. He pushed his hair back before taking his glasses into his hand and wiping the dirt from the fragile lens before his eyes moved around the group of slumbering Espers and then the blanket. He glared at the item before turning his head to the fire as he slowly approached it. The night air was chilly, but he refused to use Alencia's stupid blanket. Holding out his hands against the flames, he was relieved to see that no one else inhabited the space and he could finally partake in the space. He rubbed his hands together for a minute before glancing over his shoulder at the Water Esper with a deep frown on his face. "Looking for something else to torment me with?" He hissed with irritation.


Color Encyclopedia

"Bird Dialogue"

"Racoon Dialogue"

"Deer Dialogue"

"Badger Dialogue"



〖 Ｌｏｃａｔｉｏｎ: Clearing 〗c 〖 Ｃｏｍｐａｎｙ: All Eight Espers -> Alencia 〗c 〖 Ｍｏｏｄ: Nervous, cautious, anxious 〗c 〖 ＯｏＣ: Stupid Alencia... 〗


"Talking"
'Mofo erizzle.'


Cynosural Cataclysm