When waking up in the morning, what crosses your mind? Is it the fact that you actually woke up? Or is it the minute details that may entice you to pay just a bit more attention to them, like the smell of fresh coffee in the morning, or the stench of your surroundings as you realize you are in a slum. Is it the taste of saliva or bile in your mouth, or the itchiness of your eyes? Do you even contemplate these things sometimes or is this just mindless meta rambling of the narrator?

Regardless, waking up in the morning often feels mundane, an action that happens literally on it’s own with no outside force usually causing it. Sure of course someone or something could provide stimulation that could potentially jolt someone into action, but waking up is its own beast. Your body has to feel it is the right time to wake up, the right temperature, the right feeling, the right pressure, the righ-

“Okay you can shut the fuck up now.”

The world spins back into focus as a young man sat at his desk, mindless rubbing the back of his head as he turned to face his companion. The visitor was a young woman, about as tall as a dresser and dressed like your average mage. She had a bit of a pouty face for someone who looked like a garden gnome, and from how she held it you could tell she had it often enough to consider it her natural face, but that was besides the point. The point was she was irritated because her partner for some reason kept reading out every word he typed on the page as if he were reading from a sacred book of some sort.

“Okay, I am so serious now. Lay off of it Tei. It’s not even funny anymore.”

Well the midget woman was indeed correct in her assumption, it was not funny anymore, but it did serve the purpose of introducing the main character. A fellow whose tastes were so fine that they allowed him to grace this woman with his presence for only the minute amount of time they had been together and yet had enriched her world with countless possibilities.

“If you mean a black eye and possibly a STD then yes, countless possibilities.”

The young man sighed, turning away from the typewriter as he faced her. No longer playing narrator for the sake of a joke that had finally ran its course, he stared her down with a bit of humor in his own eye however letting her know that the practical joke at her own expense had indeed amused him.

“You are so easy to rile up, Lizel,” came a childish voice. It was clear the boy had not hit heavy puberty yet from the lack of bass behind his words, and yet if one could listen carefully they could hear the well traveled seniority behind them. In any case, the young woman rolled her eyes at his statement, blowing it off as fact as she finished fastening on her armor that she had worn the night before coming to his chambers.

“So what if I am, that doesn’t give you an excuse to be a trollop in any case. Anyway where are we off too now that you’re almost certainly done gallivanting in this great holy city? Clearly you have no qualms being a lecher anywhere if you can be one he- I swear I can not stand you.”

The woman glared hatred into his chest as he stood before her, hand firmly clasping her shoulder as if to comfort her, however she knew from previous experiences it could only grow worse from there. Luckily for her, he merely smiled and walked away, his consistent cheery persona never even once taking a hit. It was as if he owned the fact he was a perverted man, or rather considered himself something more than that. With a mug of brew in his hand, and his knapsack slung over his back in the other, he merely gave her a smile and replied simply, “Wherever our travels take us my dear Watson.”

It was official, Constantine Librorum was officially one of the worst people she had ever met. Huffing one last time, she tied her breastplate together behind her back before picking up her backpack and heading to the door with him following. Taking one last look at the room, she noticed that the typewriter was still there as was the paper. Odd. He never left that thing behind. It was his constant source of amusement at the offense of her and anyone in the general area that could hear his mouth. And yet she did not feel the need to tell him that he was missing it. Just assuming that he knew and was likely going to come back for it. He probably did not need it wherever he was going anyway.

“Anyway we are going to enjoy our last day in the town, see some sights, meet some people. You know, normal stuff,” said Teiho. You could tell by the look she gave him in response to this statement that everything they had done so far was so far past normal that it could not even be considered in the same class, and thus she merely sighed and trudged on behind him after he closed and locked the door. Whatever, she thought to herself.

And so they ventured out into the country's capital, the marketplace booming with noise as vendors tried desperately to sell something to anyone to make an honest coin. It was moments like these that Teiho honestly enjoyed, it was life at its purest. There were no ulterior motives besides making money, and at the end of the day everyone went home satisfied. However he knew that for it to stay this way his vacation could not last much longer, but for one more day he would enjoy the town and everything it had to offer.

[Topic Open]

Author Note: From this point forward the floor is open to anyone willing to join in. Please if you’re going to interact with my character do so AFTER he enters the market, having to revise like 2-3 pages worth of text is annoying and going back one paragraph is easy.

“So if a dog is a dog right? And a cat is a cat? Why can’t a toad be a frog?” asked Teiho as his female companion groaned and slapped her forehead as they began walking out the front door of the hotel. It seemed the young man made it his utmost purpose to annoy her and honestly she didn’t know why she put up with it. Another male ahead of them caught her eye as he approached, clearly on a collision course with her companion, and yet she didn’t feel the need to tell him. Let him get himself out of this mess, it wasn’t her business. The young man himself felt his shoulders brush against the clearly taller man’s arm. The small bit of contact caused him to stop rambling, a bit of his attention pulled off to the side as he made to apologize, “Sorry about that friend, they don’t make these doors as wide as they used to you know?”

And it was true, the door the young man had just walked through was quite narrow, which was weird because the foyer was rather large. Regardless Teiho sized the young man up and found him to be quite stylish. He could’ve easily worked at a bank or something you know? Either way the young gentleman had something about him that honestly rubbed Teiho the wrong way but he didn’t let that phase him, he wasn’t one for ulterior motives you know? He would wait a moment for the young man to respond to his apology as his female companion continued out the door, already convinced it wasn’t her problem.

It was as if the world stood still for a moment as these two would cross paths. At that very moment Roman caught a whiff of something fantastic. It was more than that of the female in armor, it was something that was invaluable. It was potential, something he had not encountered in quite some time. This midget who bumped into him was someone who could be something in the near future. Roman would stop cold in his tracks, for a moment he had forgot about the meal he would indulge himself in later on this evening. His attention was all placed on the lad who had bumped into him. Roman could not help himself but lick his lips in anticipation. He quickly turned around to face the lad who had stopped and uttered some words that held no weight with Roman. “No excuse me friend. It was I who was not paying attention.”

This was clearly Roman responding out of reaction due to the mask he wore in public. In a private case he would have reached out and struck the boy with minor hesitation. “What is your name boy. I feel as if our meeting is more than pure chance. As if nature itself has led us to this very meeting.” A hint of excitement would come off in Roman's voice. Something was off about the boy, he did not pay any mind to the sow who accompanied him. Should the boy brush off Roman then he would have no choice but to use her as leverage against him. Roman was roughly in arm length of both of them. Should he ignore his question. She would become a victim of his intentions. With quick foot movement forward and the firing of a left hand moving towards her cheek region with lightning speed and deadly accuracy. It would have enough power to knock her off balance. Of course this was only if the lad continued his current advance past Roman. He would have no problems with praying on the relationship of the girl and the boy. Depending on how this played out this would start a wonderful relationship that would only end in one leaving this world int the future.

The young male blinked at the reply, apparently the guy thought it was his fault? Whatever, no big deal to him really. He accepted the response and turned to head on his way when he heard the man speak up once again. Okay then, he thought the exchange was done and over with but apparently the taller gentleman had more to ask of him, which apparently was his name. Turning around and scratching his head a bit ignoring the rather pointed look he was giving him, nor even remotely acknowledging the fact they were close enough for he or his companion were close enough to be struck. The young woman had already exited the building however so she was very much clear of any aggression but hey, the narrator had to include things that had already been stated because context. Returning to the situation at hand, the young male opened his mouth simply to respond to the situation, "The name is Teiho stranger, though in some cultures it is more appropriate to give your name first if you are going to ask for someone elses. Didn't your parents teach you manners friend?"

The snarky remark obviously wouldn't be ignored, but Teiho wasn't too worried about it. As things were they were in a public location and if the young man truly felt some type of way about things they could easily throw down until the police arrived and arrested the man for aggravated assault and pardoned him for his use of self defense. But truthfully there wasn't any reason to feel the situation would escalate. Who was he but a simple librarian, who wanted to boast and brag about fighting a librarian? Sounded stupid to him honestly but hey whatever floated their boat right?

The boy responded quickly so his companion did not meet the quick hand of Roman. Even if she was out of range she would have been in immediate range due to Roman stepping past the lad into her direction. Instead he stopped and only placed his hands on his tie. With both hands on his tie he made sure it was straight and not crooked before introducing himself. “No my parents did not as they are both dead.” Roman had no form of remorse in his voice when saying this. “You can call me Roman however, but isn't it in most cultures that the young should respect their elders? So stating your name first would not be above you unless you were not raised correctly.” Roman kept a calm demeanor the whole time while speaking. He did not show any form of hostility immediately just retorted with his silver tongue. One that would not hesitate to strike back at those who are quick to rudeness. Several thoughts radiated through his head at this given moment. Sure Roman could start a scuffle right here in the crowd and think nothing of it. However, he did have a lovely date with the female later on.

Then again there was something special about the lad. Something that drew Roman to reach out to him. This was unlike him to do such a thing. His interest had been peaked due to the residual energy that circulated the air. There was no other mages of this caliber in the immediate area so this of course caught his attention. The boy kept a calm demeanor so that meant he had a confidence about him or maybe it was arrogance? The finer details did not bother Roman at this moment. It was as if the world had become irrelevant as his attention was focused on this lad. “You have a stench that follows you, a stench that tells me you carry some form of strength. This intrigues me.” Roman was blunt with Teiho as he did not want to drag things out. He had a schedule to keep.

Roman waited for the boy to talk, he could tell he had the span of a gerbil. He was not one to stand around and talk for a extended period of time. By the time Teiho began to respond Roman had already began to undo his tie. It took less than a second to loosen it and untie it completely. He placed it in his right pocket and straightened out his back. Roman was taking a more relaxed stature. He began to roll his shoulders back to further loosen his body. “You can continue the ruse here boy but you can't fool me.” After that the boy's statements would become null as he was clearly going to keep up this act of not being a fighter. Roman had a six sense for these kind of things. He knew the only way he would be able to confirm things would be action. People had already cleared out of their path out of fear of them. There was roughly a meter between them, so clearing that distance would take no time at all with his long legs. The lad stood at the entrance of a building away from some stands that were roughly five meters away from the both of them.

He would not let the boy finish his statement only action. At that given moment there would be no more words given from Roman. In one smooth motion Roman's face would be hidden behind his face he would dash forward while slight hunching his body downward slightly. It was so quick that it would seem the wind it self would bend around him. With both hands up Roman had a tight guard that would be tough to deal with. The boy would have to stop his speaking or risk being struck. Roman's current stance was one of a standard boxer. With his current motion he would be able to quickly maneuver out of the way of a forward attack and counter quickly. He could even stop on a dime if the lad pressed forward to attack. The first attack if the second step was achieved would be a quick left hook moving to  his right aimed at the boys corresponding rib cage. A right hand was kept close as a contingency to block.

Keeping his eyes on the boy he was very aware of his surroundings. The boy would retaliate as expected. In such a way that would cause Roman to stop in his tracks. Teiho launched his foot out in a attempt to deter Roman from his second step as the kick had minor force behind it from the look of it. It was mainly an action to keep distance. The shorter boy had a disadvantage of reach so he had to use what god gave him. Roman's action would change from the straight punch to the guarded position. The kick would only meet a tight guard that would move to intercept the kick. However, Teiho would use this as a spring board to push himself backward. This would put a little bit of distance between them but Roman did not stop there. He pressed forward again at the moment Teiho would be turning around. So it would be hard to use a kick being so close again. He would have to resort to using his hands. Roman would fire off a right straight this time keeping his left arm tucked in close. The forward right was a quick jab that could be retracted and fired off numerous times. Roman fired off five times at Teiho in the span of a second.

Each moving at break neck speeds. Each punch was aimed at the boy's chest region. Roman could easily alter the trajectory at Teiho's given reaction. Roman's pupils would change shape and become akin's to a dragon. This was the excitement boiling in him to despite Teiho's displeased disposition They would be locked in a close combat situation, Roman was not about to let a opportunity like this slip through his fingers. Roman's mind had played out several scenarios, the boy proved he was agile but as far as strength that was left to be determined. Roman himself was fighting at maybe 25% capacity considering he wasn't using magic. This was merely a game to him.

As he pressed into the building, people began to clear out with post host haste. The boy continued to avoid the onslaught of attacks. Roman had figured the boy understood the gravity of the situation. With a size difference like this even with a similar level of strength Roman had the body built for it. He put minor strength on the jab in favor of rapid firing. The left hand kept close with it ready to fire forward a moment's notice should Teiho lose any footing and get knocked off balance. He even avoided blocking for the most part, just stuck with the standard bobbing and weaving to avoid any form of damage. He figured he could not risk getting caught up in these flurry of attacks without risk of taking heavy damage. Nor could he risk trading blows with someone who had a size advantage over him. Roman had not even scratched the surface of his stamina. Roman stopped in his tracks for a moment considering the boy had no intentions of getting closer. The boy had moved back roughly two meters backward to keep a distance. Clearly he was studying Roman's movement waiting for some opening to retaliate. Roman would only stand up straight and drop his guard.

“Whew lad you are quick, that is good, be boring if you were slow. Then again tenderizing someone would be fine with me also.”

Roman spoke but never let his eyes wonder. He knew better than that. Stopping to fight mid talk at this distance was a gamble of sort. Teiho could easily close the gap with a onslaught but then again would it be a gamble on Teiho's part also. He did not know the extent of Roman's ability and should he rush in it could spell doom in a instant. He dusted off his forearms because they were dirty due to the kick he deflected with the block. “What say you Teiho wanna actually fight back or are ya gonna continue to play cat and mouse. Either is fine with me.”

Roman decided it was time to turn it up a bit because clearly the lad was not one to let himself get hit to easily. Roman did not make any sudden movements in fear of his prey scurrying away. The boy was not a fighter naturally it seemed, only as a last resort. People began to slowly empty out the building but the two did not move from their position. He watched the boy's eyes cut to the side for a second as if he was trying to picture a way out. There were several ways out that any normal person would not be able to see. Roman took off his jacket and folded it calmly. He placed it to his left on the ground. He had full intentions of actually getting it cleaned. He did not want to have any further restrictions from here on out. His smile did not fade as his eyes surveyed his prey very closely. The boy would give a small bounce of the ground, he was trying to create a looseness in his body. The boy took a stance that was a more open ended type style. “We are only just getting started trust me.”

Roman's fists clenched and his muscles tightened up. His entire body flexed and his muscles extended outward. His shirt grasped onto his skin. “Come come now lets make this quick I am sure both of us have things to do.” Roman's speed suddenly went from half to full as he stepped inward moving at five meters a second closing the gap in a instant. The untrained eye would not be able to see it but Roman mid movement had already taken his stance. His entire body had become a weapon in a instant. He stepped inward with his right foot leading in with a repeat of the previous action. Five jabs but this time each matching his current movement speed. He would only slightly alter his strategy however. This time they had added power behind them. Enough to brick wood with each strike. The first three was aimed center mass while the other two punches were reactionary. They were dependent on if the lad decided to move left or right. His left hand had been kept close but this time it was open. He could easily use it to grasp and redirect any counter attacks. Then again Teiho would have to move inward into range past his right arm.

A smile crossed Roman’s face as he anticipated the lad to do something of this nature. Why? He did the same offensive measure twice, so he was expected to pick up on this. This was why Roman kept his left hand open for such an occasion. At the point of the first jab Teiho had moved inward for a sweeping maneuver. Regardless Roman had planted his forward right foot down firmly to stand his ground. He was trying to put Roman off balance. This sweep was to knock away the initial strike and go for a grab. Still due to the height difference and weight difference Teiho would have to adjust himself to use Roman’s weight against him. Some textbook martial arts here but Roman wasn’t a stranger to this. A left open hand would be able to push forward into the lads side as he would had to move into Roman’s striking range. This palm strike would serve to halt the boy completely in his tracks. Due to being around the same strength as stated before Roman would have to force a stalemate. The boy’s elbow met the forward palm strike of the man to keep him from pushing inward any more. At the same time of the forward palm strike, Roman’s right foot would slide to the right as he shifted his left side forward to follow the palm strike. Not only would this take away from the boy’s possible throw. This would avoid Teiho’s attempt to lock his leg behind his knee.

At that point Roman would push off the boy using the force to dislodge them both completely. He would only begin to laugh but it was quickly cut short. As he could hear the footsteps of several armored men coming behind them. ‘That is a shame things were just getting good.’ He thought for a moment. Being only a meter away from the lad he would stand up straight. He kept his fingers together ready to snap if the boy made any motions towards him. “Shame we will have to continue this at a later date. Teiho is the name right?” he said walking past the lad in a non-menacing fashion. “Until next time.” Screaming could be heard in the back as the Rune Knights made themselves known. Roman did not care what they were saying only that he knew he could not get caught here. As he walked past the boy he would only sprint through the building towards a back wall. As he ran backwards towards the wall he would punch forward causing a dragon to erupt forward and pierce the back wall in a instant. It would blow a hole big enough to weaken the integrity. Dust and debris would kick up as Roman kicked a bigger hole to run through.

Some of the Rune knights would be caught up trying to arrest Teiho no doubt. Roman had no doubt in his mind that the boy would walk away with minor difficulties. For now this was a stalemate.

[Exit]

His counter had been countered, not truly surprised at the action, he'd recover quite quickly. Having only slid back a solid meter away, he was prepared in case the man had continued but it seemed the threat of law enforcement halted his pent up aggression. The man seemed to have had his fill of the situation as he walked away, talking about a 'next time' as if such a thing would even remotely happen if Teiho had a say in it. He'd watch the man punch a hole in the wall before regarding the fact that his comrade had likely called the police on him and his assailant. Knowing that the Rune Knights likely wouldn't care if he was the one being assaulted in this instance, he would take his earlier designated escape route before disappearing from the area entirely, the thought of the man coming for him again slightly making him ponder if maybe a change in face was in order.

-Exit-