The fist or the spear? That is the question. (Cherry and Retuo SL)

Patience is a virtue. And when it came to fishing that virtue was all the more important, you could spend hours upon hours just sitting there and waiting for a bite and come up with nothing. But in the end, if you actually caught a fish all that time spent would be worth it in the end. Of course there was a whole lot more to fishing than just waiting around, you had to find the right bait, the right rod, and of course being able to reel one in. It took a certain amount of skill to be able to fish correctly. And sadly Cherry did not have that amount of skill, nor patience for that matter.

It had been a day since the fight in the Highrise. And Cherry has only just recently left that frozen land, and into the bellows. At first she was simply going to try and find some more items to collect, but then she recalled her mother's comments about how tasty fish where. And seeing as there was a river nearby Cherry went to go try her hand at fishing. Curious to see how good those fish really where. Of course her mother never told her HOW to fish so she wasn't having much luck. And it would be pretty easy to see what the problem was if anybody came by and saw. They would see a silhouette of Cherry hunched over, her large left arm almost elbow deep. Trying to grab at the fish.

"This is really hard.........." She muttered under her breath as she yanked her arm out of the water, shaking it in the air to try and dry it off the best she could. After a few seconds of this, she reeled her fist back and slammed it into the water. Trying to go for the second round. She was so focused on this task that anything, or anybody could probably walk up behind her and she would be none the wiser.

Honestly, as much as he wasn't extremely fond of this area, Retuo was glad to be out of the freezing temperatures for the time being. He'd most likely have to go back there fairly soon, but a break from feeling like he was becoming a half-popsicle hybrid was by all means welcome. Why had he come here though? Well, for one he did need to be on lookout for people, and it probably didn't matter where he went as long as he didn't sit in place and hope for someone to come to him. Two, as gloomy as the Bellows were, they were the best source of water in most situations, so there was that too.

...he hadn't expected to find the girl out here again however. Hadn't she claimed that the area was not great because she couldn't find much in there due to the fog that tended to linger around a lot? Then again, maybe something made her change her mind. Upon having noticed her...which wasn't all that hard with her making splash noises as she plunged her arm into the water with a lot of force, he'd keep his distance for a little while, watching her in contemplation. He had an idea as to what she was probably trying to do, although her method of choice was a somewhat...strange one.

She didn't appear to be paying enough attention to notice someone being nearby, and thus he would eventually opt to walk closer himself, staying at just enough distance so he wouldn't get splashed with water were she to make big moves with her arm at random or in response to potentially being startled when she did finally realize she wasn't alone. He'd cough under his breath to clear his throat. "...Hello. I hope I am not disturbing you, but I was wondering what it is you were doing out here? I hadn't expected to see you here so soon again."

As Retuo walked closer to the girl, he would notice that she was wearing a different outfit than the one he saw her in while she was fighting off those demons the other day. She was wearing a short sleeve black shirt. Letting him see her bare demon weapon, well, when it wasn't in the river that is. Meanwhile she was wearing a decently long skirt, than came down a little past her knees. Her friend had made her many clothes, and the young girl was eager to use all of them to the best of her ability.

She quickly spun around when she heard a man clearing his throat. But she quickly relaxed once she saw that it was just Retuo. "Retuo! My gods it is so nice to see you again, I wasn't expecting to see you here either." She said as she yanked her arm out of the water. For a split second thought about hiding her arm away from him. But then she remember, she fought besides him. He must have saw it, and seeing as he didn't comment on it or attack, he must be okay with it! Or at the very least hasn't stated any discomfort or doubts out loud. So, for now at least, she kept her arm to her said. Simply resting next to her leg as she starting to answer his question. "Well I was closer to the bellows than I was to the Dryrange, so I went here. And as I was looking, I found this nice little dock and I thought I'd give fishing a try! So far I haven't gotten any luck though." She said as she turned around to face the river, before patting the spot next to her. Trying to get him to sit down with her.

"What about you Retuo? What brings you here? You came to fish too, or do you come here to train with your awsome earth powers?" The latter part of her statement carried a light, playful energy to it before she slammed her arm into the water once more. Barely missing a fish that was swimming close to the surface. "Argh! I was so close that time!"

Hm, well he did notice...although clothing choices were not something he tended to pay attention to heavily. He himself usually stuck to one style rather than care about fashion variety and switches were mostly in response to weather conditions. In fact, were he a Vault resident or such, Retuo would most likely be that guy with several copies of the same outfit in his closet just so he didn't have to think and choose every day. That, and he preferred to stick to what he knew he was comfortable in.

Speaking of noticing things, he had actually been mildly curious about that arm, but felt like it wasn't his place to question. Not too quickly at least. With the way she had fought back then and just the general appearance of it, he could guess what its origin most likely was. For all he knew, she wouldn't want to talk about or even have to think about that. "Mmm, fair enough." He probably hadn't sounded very enthusiastic about this place the last time, so it'd make sense to not expect to see him there again. He'd hum under his breath, moving to stand beside her, though would not sit down for now. "Ah, fishing. I suppose that can be a worthwhile way to spend time. It's not always easy to make a catch though." Without proper equipment, it took repeated attempts, usually.

He would shake his head with a faint chuckle as she questioned his reasons. "Not this time around. I was honestly just glad to temporarily get away from the cold. I don't take too well to it. Staying on the move also helps me seek people out..." In a sense. That said, he would eye her bruteforce attempts thoughtfully. "You might be scaring the fish away and making them more alert by making such big swings and stirring the water over and over. If you want to catch by hand, calculated precision might pay off more. That is to say, if you're also lucky enough." None of this was proper fishing after all.

While Cherry was by no means a 'fashion queen' she felt it would be a little rude if she didn't use the gifts her friend had given her. Plus over all her new clothes where just flat out better to wear than her old pair. They where clean, comfortable, easy to move in. She truely was luckly to have met and befriended such a skilled and kind woman, maybe one day she should tell her about Retuo? Or maybe talk about her to Retuo? Her friends being friends sounded lovely! Of course she'd have to find both of them in the same place, around the same place in order for that to work. Which was highly unlikely.

"Heh, you can say that again. I have been doing this for hours and I haven't caught anything!" Hours was a tad bit of a overstatement. In reality she has only been at this for roughly ten minutes. But to her mind this was taking far longer than it should. "By the way, thank you for all the help back at the Highrise. I am not sure I could have fought off all of those demons without the others, and you with me. Although to be honest, and uh, don't tell them this if you run into them again." Cherry paused, casting her eyes left and right, almost like she thought Shiro and Eden would just pop out of nowhere. "I think me and you did most of the heavy lifting." She said with a sly grin and a playful wink. While she was mostly joking, it was true that she thought Retuo played a much more important part in the battle than the others, and even herself! It took only two strikes with his earth move to clear four demons! It was the coolest thing this girl has ever seen! Unlike Retuo however, she didn't think too much on his weapon. Sure she knew what demon weapons where and that there where other of her 'kin' out there. But she didn't really put two and two, together and realize what Retuo was. Or, maybe it would be better that something was stopping her from putting two and two, together.

Cherry let out a soft hum. "I can understand that. I really don't like the cold either. But I must say, I find it a little strange that you say you came to seek people out. I thought you said you where more of a loner?" She asked softly. Before going slient and listening to his comment on her fishing style. "So I should go slower?" She said, trying to make sure she understood his advice before trying to grab another fish.

"Hours...? Is that metaphorical or the actual time? Because if you've really been failing for that long, your technique might just be bad." His tone was mostly a curious one there though, so it wasn't like he was intending to actually insult her skills. Naturally, it wasn't easy and could take several tries, but to spend hours actively trying just to not catch a single one would only point towards doing something not quite right.

When she went off giving praises for the battle that happened, Retuo would at first give her a blank look with a raised brow, but would after a couple moments shake his head with a brief low laugh. Admittedly, there was still a part of him that felt a tinge of irritation towards the fact that everyone else just left like everything was solved with that one victory against a few demons, but he couldn't say the girl wasn't funny in her own way. He wasn't the one to hold onto grudges unless it was serious anyway. "What will you say to them when you meet them again?" Would she be honest or twist the words differently then? He had to wonder. "Honestly though, I was already there prior and would have fought regardless of whether you and the others showed up or not, so if anything, I should be the one thanking you. Or better put, the people staying there ought to. In fact, since you bring it up, I might as well pass it on, but Armando is thankful for your assistance in the fight." He had no idea whether she cared to know or not, but it felt right to at least mention, since they all left so fast there was no time to have any proper talk about what happened.

But...yeah, he was quicker to put two and two together, as watching and thinking was something he did a whole lot. Still, he wasn't acting on it for the time being because he didn't want to accidentally upset the girl by bringing up a tough subject like that. Maybe if something that prompted it came up over time, but not now. "Hmm..." He'd put one of his hands on his hip as he thought. "Well...you're not wrong. I typically do not actively go out of my way to look for people. I suppose I have an agenda this time, however. You see, I have had a chance to speak with the group in the Highrise more, and since their main heat source probably won't last for much longer, they're seeking assistance to help them travel somewhere else. Armando has asked me if I could help find a few more hands whom could fight against any possible demons that would try to get in their way. The fact that they have a bigger group unfortunately makes them an easier target, and they're not used to living like this either. They used to live in a Vault but it got destroyed very recently, which is why they're currently stuck out there." Well, it's not like any of that was a big secret, and he had planned on maybe asking the girl anyway. It was kind of a difficult spot after all, because people who could fight were his only viable option...but he didn't have a way to tell who could unless he had already seen them do so. Thus, currently his options were limited quite a bit unless he got lucky.

In any case... "Perhaps. Though, can you even see where exactly you're aiming when you try? Fish are slippery and fast. Not a target you take down with brute force unless you can first trap it in one place." With how big her arm was, could she even tell where she was really grabbing once she plunged it in? A fish could easily slip away if you didn't kill or impale it in one precise move.

Cherry placed a hand on her hip, before giving him a little pout. "Hey, I am still new at this! And fishing takes time, I am sure this way can work. I just haven't worked everything out yet!" She assured him, dead set on using her arm for fishing. Mostly because she couldn't really use a fishing rod without breaking it. "And for your question.......... Uh, probably actual time? I mean I don't have a watch, but it feels like I have been doing this for hours!" She said, letting out a small, short-lived laugh.

"Well I'll thank them of course. I won't bring up how they did in the battle though if that is what you're getting at. That would just be plain rude." Cherry would normally follow the rule of 'if you didn't have anything nice to say, don't say it at all.' She wasn't bound to this rule of course, if she felt like the person in question was making a mistake, or if she was made enough she would be quick to state her options on the matter. No matter if it was rude or not. But if she was just having a chat with somebody? Then she saw no reason to bring up something that could hurt their feelings. She wouldn't like that if somebody did that to her. "Oh no! There is no need to thank me, I just did what anybody would have done!" She giggled out. Although it was pretty clear that she did in fact like the praise, a small grin on her, and a little glint in her eyes. Almost like she was expecting him to keep the praise coming. When Retuo brought up Armando however she stopped and let out a soft hum. "He did, did he? Well that was nice of him." Her voice suggested that she was in deep thought, and her raising her right hand to her chin only supported that theory.

............. She had no clue who Armando was. She did recall two men, but she didn't even remember if they TOLD her their names. In hindsight they probably did, and she just forgot. Either way she wasn't about to let Retuo know this. "Well, tell him thanks too! She blurted out, nodding her head with a little too much vigor.

"Oh my!" The girl gasped in shock as he heard Retuo explain to her what was going on with the group of vagrants back at the Highrise. "That sounds horrible. It must have been a pretty big change for them, going from living in a vault to living out in the wild." Cherry muttered out in a sympathetic tone. "I think it's great that you're helping them out though! That is quite noble of you. If you tell me when they are planning to move I would love to help out! I mean, I never really done something like this before. But I know the Highrise decently well, plus as we found out together, I can protect myself and others in a fight." It would be a lot of work and stress on her, but she couldn't just turn a blind eye to these people, now could she? Plus from her understanding Retuo would be there too, plus the man that summon that strange, metal being. So she had backup. "How many people have you recruited so far?" She asked, curious on how succesful he had been.

"I mean, kinda? I can see them, but the water is messing up my aim. Do you have any suggestions?"

Retuo would huff lightly, his expression a mildly amused one. "No offense meant, truly. I'm simply saying it how it sounds. I do wish you good luck though." Fishing barehanded was probably one of the most difficult methods, honestly. It was far too easy to alert the fish way before you could properly grasp them. There was a reason most used at least some sort of an external tool for the job. It was easier to manipulate that and get the desired result. "Ah, the mystery of feelings." She didn't look like she had been hard at work for hours, so perhaps he ought to take her assessment with a grain of salt to some extent. Hunching over the river and slamming your arm into it repeatedly for hours would do a number on one's back and whatnot, he was pretty sure.

He'd hum faintly. "I see. Would you tell them if they asked what you thought though?" He was certainly taking interest in her way of thinking, though why that was the case would be anyone's guess right now. "If that is what you wish. Although, I don't think it can be said that everyone would have made the same choice." There were always some people who were not willing to put their life on the line for just any random person. The way she seemed to be thinking very hard at his mention of Armando was quite amusing, but he would make no comment on it for the time being, simply watching her think with a half-smile. "Sure, will do." There was no reason not to, although he wasn't quite certain what she wanted to thank the man for exactly.

Speaking of which, the situation with the guys over there was certainly a difficult one. "It's never an easy transition. I have no reason to not offer my assistance. As they say, it's best to treat others the way you'd like them to treat you. If I were a jerk to everyone, I'd have no right to demand anyone to be nice to me either." Fair exchange, no? "I believe they plan to do it within a few days due to the heat source dying, but it would of course depend on many factors. I'm glad you're willing to lend a hand though." It made it a bit easier for him, and while he wasn't necessarily enthused about having to involve someone seemingly still young, they unfortunately lacked the luxury of choice out here most of the time. He'd sigh. "Well, it hasn't been long since then yet and I am in a bit of a difficult position with this. I don't think there is any simple way to tell who has an ability to defend against demons. I do know where to seek out Eden though, so I could always go ask them....obnoxious attitude and all aside, those scan abilities do seem like a useful trick." He could appreciate the good sides after all.

Giving a brief narrowed glance at the waters, he would take a few steps closer to the edge of the dock, summoning his spear in hand. "Hard to say. I normally wouldn't recommend trying to catch them with hands, since that is kind of a last resort option. Perhaps you could aim to disable them rather than catch however. If you can wound the fish sufficiently enough, it won't be able to swim away anymore. That way, you don't have to full on capture it alive, you simply need to be quick enough to cripple it." That was honestly the best bet he could think of on spot right now.

Cherry's face was one of confusion as Retuo made his comment about feelings. She didn't really get what he was getting at with that comment. His voice didn't really give her anything to work on either. So she simply shrugged her shoulders.

"If they ask, I would just tell them that they did a good job. Like I said before, telling them my option would be rude and may hurt their feelings. I would only ever tell them, if they asked for my honest option and if I felt there was anything they could do better." After Cherry said her piece, she would reach over and scratch her demon weapon. Her low cut nails making a weird noise as it gently rubbed up against the wood. "I guess not everybody would. I mean people who don't have the power to defend against demons probably wouldn't. And I wouldn't blame them! But I like to think that people with the power to fight back would do the same things we did, if they where in our shoes. People like us, people with powers, we need to be held to a different standard than the others right? We have these powers for a reason, they exist to be used, and what better way to use them than to help other people?" She questioned, before giving him a thumb's up upon hearing that Retuo would tell the man that she said thank you aswell.

A wide smile crossed the girl's face. It was clear that Retuo's comment pleased her greatly. "Yeah you're right! If we all go around hurting people, that is just going to make things worse for everybody! We all have to work together to make it through this." Like many other things, Cherry felt very strongly about this. "A few days huh? Yeah I could stick around here, or the Highrise that long, easy! I'll try and stick around the hotel so I know when you guys are about to go and move, but um, I'll probably wander around a bit. Just a fair warning." Even if this was very important, she would go stir crazy if she just sat around and waited for them to do something for days on end. She had to move around, look for a few things. She wouldn't go far, but it was best to let Retuo know that anyways. "That is true. Well, even if you don't find anybody else. I am sure me, you, Eden, and uh. The guy that summoned the metal thing can handle it!"

Cherry's jaw almost dropped on the wet, wooden, dock as she saw Retuo call the spear to his hand. "You are just full of surprises aren't ya!? She asked with a shock tone. After her awe died down she let out a little hum, as she sticks her hand back in the water. "That could work, but it has the same problem with me catching it. I need to be quick enough to strike it. But I'll try it out once another one comes by." After she said that, she simply stayed slient and kept her hand in the water waiting for something. A few moments passed like this before she opened her mouth up to ask a question.

"Do you feel any different Retuo?" Cherry asked out of the blue, with zero context behind the question. And it seems she caught that herself. As she soon added some detail to her question. "A-after the fight I mean. Do you feel any different? Like there is a.......... Strange energy filling you now?"

"Mm, well...if you think they didn't do as well as us, then you must naturally feel like they could have done something better, no?" If she didn't have any idea about what that'd be, then he'd probably agree that it was best to not be loud about that opinion. It could certainly come off rude to tell someone you didn't think they did well enough, but not even be able to say what you expected them to have done better in the first place. In his personal opinion, Retuo wasn't truly judging performance yet at all. Everyone did at least something in their own way, and the fight had not lasted long enough to allow several people to truly shine anyway. He'd frown a tiny bit as he glanced up and down over her arm, his attention briefly drawn to it by her scratching. "I...well, powers can be used for both good and bad actions. There is no way to say who would choose to do what exactly. You can certainly hold people to a certain standard in your mind, and I won't say that it is wrong to do so...however, it's worth to consider that many people may end up disappointing you instead and doing way less than you thought they would." In the same way he had kind of been disappointed about how the rest of the group didn't bother staying for even a moment afer the fight. Naturally, he had his own standards as well, but moments like those were always a painful reminder that others would often not act in accordance to one's own beliefs.

Nevertheless, he would chuckle lightly at her enthusiasm towards sticking together and not hurting anyone. While he didn't fully agree with her overly optimistic mindset towards how the world and relationships between people worked, he could in a sense appreciate the fact that she was able to keep such a pure view even in this situation. It was kind of rare after all, and while it could cause her pain later, it was also somewhat admirable. "I wish it was always that simple. That said, I also believe that there are certain situations where getting hurt is actually a valuable lesson for a person." Something that had to be approached carefully, but getting bitten did teach one what not to do and caused them to learn to not overestimate themselves. "Mm." He'd nod. "I don't really mind. I'm not going to ask you to stay in one place if you do not wish to." If she could keep to the promise that she'd be reachable when need be, it didn't matter what she did in her free time outside of that. He wasn't so strict that he'd demand something like that. "Ah...so that is why." He'd actually snort when she called Armando the 'guy who summoned the metal thing'. He had figured something was off when she appeared to be overthinking the thanks before, but he didn't understand entirely until this comment. "Just so you know, said guy is the one you told me to thank back." Might as well clear that up.

In any case, he would turn to glance at her in brief confusion when she acted all surprised about him summoning the spear. "Hm?" He'd blink a couple times. "I thought you've seen me wield it before. What's so surprising about it?" Perhaps it was just him being used to its existence to the point where it didn't occur to him that it might seem strange to people seeing it like this. While he hadn't been able to use it to cast magical powers before the recent fight, the weapon had proven useful in other ways ever since he had obtained it. "Ah. Perhaps try to wait until it gets extremely close then, if you can't move fast enough otherwise." It wouldn't surprise him that she had some difficulty there. That arm certainly looked heavy, and probably hard to move quickly at a moment's notice.

His expression would pinch into a slightly frowny one at the sudden questioning that followed. "Energy...?" He wasn't quite certain what she meant. He'd be silent for a few contemplative moments as he raised his spear in front of him, staring at it and seemingly mulling over something. "You mean in relation to these new abilities?"

"Why yes I do. But I am not really good at that kind of stuff you know? I don't really wanna come off as mean. And I am not a critic. Sometimes it is best to just not bring anything up, and focus on the good things. Like Eden, while he never attacked any demons, was very useful with their uh. 'Scanning' I believe you called it?" She paused for a second, trying to recall the right term to use. "Their scanning and abilties, and Shiro did score the finishing blow! Now those are much better talking points to discuss with them, wouldn't you agree?" She said, still looking like she was in a good mood. Until she saw the small frown on his face, and his eyes looking her large arm up and down. She suddenly tried to place the arm behind her. A small look of shame on her face appeared, like she felt at fault for something.

"I-I, well I know that. But I don't really like the thought that people with the power to change things, to fix things, would use them for their own selfish desires. We already have enough of those people with the demons. And while I do understand looking out for yourself, I hope- No, I believe that, deep down, they would find it in their heart to help those people." Cherry would once again double down on her belief that almost everybody was good at heart, the same stance she took when she had the similar discussion with Retuo a few days ago.

"In some cases yes. I mean a child who touchs a fire and burns themselves won't touch that fire again. But if there is a way to teach people that lesson without anybody coming to any harm, well, I think that would simply be the best for everybody!" It seems as if she was starting to relax a little more, that look of shame fading away. But she did still try to hide the arm from him. Not really comfortable enough to do that again. Not quite yet anyways. "O-oh, well, I-I knew that! I was just trying to use, um, c-code language to keep his real name a secret! Just in case any demonic spies are listening to us!" The young girl blurted out, her eyes darting all around as she started to fidget and play with her hair. Making it painfully obvious that she was lying.

Cherry chuckled and shook her head. "Yeah I've seen you use it, but I've never seen you summon it to you like that. It's cool! And useful too. Like a butch of demons trying to jump you, ans then all of a sudden. BOOM! You summon the spear, and then you did the same thing you did with those other demons last time. You know, with the earth? Have you ever done that before then?" She questioned, before darting her eyes back into the deep water trying to watch for fish. "Yeah energy. Kinda like a torrent of it, or maybe a whirlpool would be a better word to use?" The energy she was speaking about was something that was almost always there in her, ever since she got her new arm, it was there. The power slumbering, hiding in her away from sight. Only being able to be barely felt by her if she truely focused on it. Now however, it was a consent feeling, a consent swirling in her chest. It was odd, yet so natural at the same time.

"Yeah, ever since I fought those demons, it felt like something changed in me. I didn't quite notice it in the heat of the moment, but something.......... 'Clicked' for a lack of a better term. Now I am feeling all of these things in my body, not just the energy. But a feeling of empowerment, a refreshing feeling." There was a third feeling in her body too. Something dark and yucky in her, a power that she refused to try out yet. But she left that part out. She didn't want Retuo thinking badly of her. "Here look, this is something I have tried out after the fight." After Cherry said that, she would take a deep, cleansing breath. Her upper body puffing out as her cheeks puffed out aswell, looking like she was trying to hold her breath. And in a sense she was doing that for a few seconds, before suddenly she let out a large exhale. And the air that came out was very different. The air was easy to see, it was a bright blue, almost looking like mint gum if Retuo ever saw one. And it seemed to have some small sparkles in it. The air would hit Retuo, and he could feel that it had a very refreshing chill to it. And if by any chance, he had been wounded, he could feel his wounds slowly, but surely, starting to heal and close.

Stats:

actions:

"...yes and no. Sometimes a more critical assessment actually helps a person improve, so I would say it depends on the circumstance at hand." Overemphasizing the good sides could give a person the wrong impression on themselves, and that wasn't always as good as it would appear. Speaking of no good, the situation became a tiny awkward there, the response to his 'sizing up' causing Retuo to turn his amber gaze vaguely off to the side. It was kind of an unfortunate habit at times that he could come off a little too focused in the wrong way when he was thinking about something, and he usually didn't really mean to seem so intent with his staring, so to speak. It was something he was aware of, but he couldn't say he was good at approaching the matter. While he was capable of talking a lot when he did get engaged in a conversation, he still wasn't the most pleasantly sociable nor soft person. Not in the typical way at least. Thus, he would opt to simply not put a lot of attention on that little issue for the time being. "Ah...well, I don't mean to imply that you should like the thought of it. Naturally, most good natured people would not. Even then, the things we do not like do not disappear simply because of our feelings towards them. I just think that...the more accepting one can be of such possibilities to begin with, the less it would hurt when or if they get to witness it happening with their own eyes one day." It was certainly possible after all, and it would crash the world of someone who refused to believe that a person would willingly make the evil choice that much harder.

The man would cross his arms over his chest loosely in thought. "Perhaps...but how do you teach someone what the pain of touching a fire would be like without ever having them experience it? When people do not know it firsthand, they are likely to underestimate just how bad it can be and brush the warning off." Someone who never knew pain would not be able to truly grasp the reason behind why it was something to be avoided. You could tell them they should stay away from it, but humans were a curious bunch. They'd ask 'but why not?' and probably do it anyway sooner or later. In any case, he would simply offer an amused hum at her rather unsubtle attempts at lying. "But you didn't do that with the others...?" He would question, kind of teasing her a little bit. As much as he preferred honesty out of people, in this instance it was more funny than anything else.

"Hm. No. I've mostly used it as a regular weapon before." He wasn't entirely surprised however, because he's always been aware of the nature of the weapon he carried. This kind of strength was the reason why regular people were never able to fully fend demons off, right? For whatever reason though, he had never been able to straight up do anything like that until that very fight, which made him wonder as to what it was that caused the shift. There was a look of concentration on his face as he gripped the spear he was holding tighter. "I'm...not sure I'd call it that exactly. Metaphor not intended, but I would say for me the feeling is more akin to the tremors after an earthquake. It's not very fluid. Perhaps you and I are different though." Certainly not like a whirlpool of water. The way Cherry spoke, it sounded like she didn't quite have an idea as to what the source of the power was, so the difference likely was rooted in that somehow. He did feel a change in a sense, but for him it was a lot more of a strain and a tug of war in a way, because his weapon did have a conscience and therefore wasn't there just as a passive energy source to draw on. As a matter of fact, as if the demon felt that the topic at hand related to him, the spear would make some vibrating motions, seemingly determined to make the point that it had some will of its own, forcing Retuo to grip on it harder to avoid accidentally dropping it. "....I wasn't talking to you." He'd mutter under his breath, his tone laced with mild exasperation. Honestly, for him this whole thing was a bit complicated, because he wasn't entirely certain he and the 'weapon' were on the same page most of the time. Interestingly enough, it appeared that the girl's arm wasn't giving her much trouble. Well, perhaps she was lucky in that regard. A lot of food for thought for sure.

...maybe at a later time however, as he would turn his attention to the girl when she decided to demonstrate a new trick, tilting his head a bit at the strange show of blue air and sparkles. He couldn't tell what it was doing exactly, but it was not unpleasant at the very least. "Interesting. I suppose there is more to it than just direct brute force, although perhaps I should not be surprised about that." After all, they've already seen abilities that were not inflicting damage, such as Eden's scanners.

"I guess in some cases that is true. But then you have to be careful about how you pharse it you know? You can't be too harsh, as you'll hurt their feelings or they will just think you're trying to be mean to them. But you need to be forceful to get the point across. I just don't think I am the right person to do something like that." It was a balancing act that Cherry was just not able to do well. So most of the time, she just left it be. She saw that after he took notice that she was aware of his staring, that he seemed to glance away. A action that Cherry wasn't really sure what to think of. It could mean he felt bad about it, or maybe he just didn't want her to know what was on his mind?

"Hmmmm." The girl would let out a thoughtful hum as she heard what he had to say on the matter. He was right, it would hurt so much less if she where to just acceot that some people would fail to meet her standards. But she wasn't ready to lower them, not yet, and hopeffuly not ever. "Sure, it will end up hurting me one day. I know that. But if I start accepting that people will do evil things, and not get angry over them. Then after a while I'll just stop caring. The line between what is wrong, and what is right will just keep getting pushed back, and back, and back. And I won't let that happen. I will not allow myself to lose sight of what is right, and what is wrong, and if that means that people are going to hurt me or disappoint me, well then that is a price that I am more then willingly to pay!" She declared, her voice filled with youthful idealism.

"There are many ways you could do it! You could grab a stick and place it in the fire, showing them what flames could do to them if they touched it. Or show them that even animals know not too mess with fires. I am not saying that pain isn't a good teacher, I am simply saying that it should be the last one." Her mother was very much a hands off sort of teacher in most ways, and that always upsetted Cherry. In truth she hated her mom's sink or swim way of thinking, it scared her, made her feel alone. Of course she was always comforted by a hug and a good job if she did well enough, but still, it didn't erase the pain she felt. And she didn't want anybody else to feel that pain. This train of thought was quickly derailed by Retuo pointing out that she hasn't been using code words for the others. "W-well, there is um, a-a reason for that. A very VERY important one! That I cannot tell you, once again, because of demonic spies!" As she said this, she placed her right hand on her hip and a forced frown, trying to act like she was offended by his comment. And she was doing a pretty bad job at it.

Cherry would raise her eyebrow as Retuo explained how his abilties seemed to work. "I see. Well I guess that makes sense, you can control earth and I can, well, punch stuff." In a way while Gale was a parasite, he also acted as a sort of generator for her. Most of her powers where of a more passive nature, not something she could call upon at any time. So instead of staying soild, or in one area. Her's was always moving, flowing throughout her body much like a the flow of a river. "Did you say something mister Retuo?" She asked, as she though she overheard him muttering something to himself.

"Yeah, it heals you. It doesn't do that much, and it takes a little bit to kick in. But it is pretty useful. I am hoping to be able to use more powers like this." Cherry would state, before going deathly slient as a fish started to swim close by. Her eyes narrowed at the target, as her body tensed up. For a while she just glared at her fishy foe, the tension in the air so quick that it could be cut with a knife. Before finally she made her move! With one soild upswing, she grabbed the fish with her hand and brought it out of the water, not fully intacted however......... "I GOT ONE! I GOT IT! Retuo look I- Ooooooooh. Oh, crap." She let out a sigh of defeat as she opened up the palm of her demon weapon to show that she had crushed the fish while trying to grab it.

"Mm, I suppose." His tone was contemplative there as he considered the possibilities. "I think that ultimately I'd rather hurt someone's feelings than stay quiet and never tell them though. Sometimes it is impossible to avoid that, seeing as there are people who take pretty much everything personally." It wasn't that Retuo wished to hurt people's feelings or be purposefully mean, but to remain completely nice and non-confrontational at all times often proved nigh impossible. Honesty could be painful, but at times necessary. "...." Well, yes, that. "Ah. At the end of the day, the one who's in control of how you feel is always you, no? Choosing to not get very angry does not have to result in you stopping to care. I would say that accepting something about how the world or people work doesn't have to mean that you're giving up your sense of right and wrong." Nothing was ever only black or white, was it? In his mind, it was possible to do both, but then again his view on things was probably quite a bit detached most of the time.

"I...guess?" His brows would furrow in thought. "People can be quite reckless though. There will always be that person whom will take the stance that it doesn't apply to them the same way it does to a piece of wood or an animal. Perhaps at that point it's more their own foolishness than anything else however." You could attempt to teach someone, but if they did not listen in the slightest, then it was not your fault anymore right? He would chuckle with an amused shake of his head. "I'm certain those spies are very entertained by you right now." He doubted there were any around, albeit if they were then admitting you were purposefully hiding something would be equally as bad as straight up revealing the information.

His eyes would for now stay strained on the spear, but he would still listen and respond to the girl's comments. "The difference is probably based on more than just that. I can use my weapon without calling upon elements as well after all." Perhaps such strikes would be a bit less effective, but the point was that he wasn't limited to only earth manipulation. "....I was..." He'd trail off for a moment. "..talking to myself?" Uh well, that wasn't entirely a lie there, because in a strange way he was. That demon for whatever reason refused to respond to him verbally so any sort of communication attempt he did make was almost as if he was trying to talk to himself. Plus, they were stuck together so in a way, they were also one to an extent. "You don't have to say it like that though. Calling me mister sounds like I'm old." He was definitely older than her if appearances were to be trusted, but he was no old man yet.

"Fair enough." He'd nod there. More powers in these times was not a bad idea, assuming they didn't come at a big cost. He'd stay silent during her face off with the fish as well, not finding it necessary to say anything, but he would wince slightly when she spoke a little too loudly for his liking. He had not been expecting that one. "...ah. Perhaps squeezing it hard is not a great idea. At least its death was quick and likely painless...?" Well, the aim was for the fish to die one way or another, right? Though it was true that trying to cook and eat a crushed one would be difficult.

"I guess we agree, to disagree then." It seemed they did that a awful lot. When it came to options on morals or ideals. But that was fine. Sometimes Cherry would get very defensive when talking about beliefs. But she never really got all that worked up with Retuo, the way he acted and spoke where all very calming, thoughtful, it mellowed her out. "I mean not really. I cannot control how I feel at all, if I see something I don't like I get mad, if I see something I do like, I'll become happy. And if I try to supress those emotions it just feels, well, wrong. Like I am going to throw them up. I don't really think that is healthy." Cherry was just not the type of girl to bury or try to control her emotions. She would always go with the flow of her feelings, for better or for worse. "I don't know. I mean accepting it feels like I am just giving up you know? Like I am just allowing evil people to win, I do not want to do that. I want to stop evil." In Cherry's world, there was a soild line between black and white. Never allowing the two to mix and create grey. There where good actions and bad ones, right and wrong, etc, etc. Sure their was varying 'degrees' of evil and good in her eyes. But nothing that was in between the lines of good and evil.

Cherry would let out a little laugh. "Well at that point, yes, I would have to agree with you. You just have to let the kiddo burn themselves, and maybe give them a little 'I told you so' after the fact." Cherry would wave her hand in the air in a dismiss manner, while also trying to hide the blush on her face. "Well they won't b-be if I ever get my hands on them. I'd give em the old one-two!" After she said that, Cherry made a little punching motion with her right arm. Her punches with her flesh arm where honestly quite wimpy. It looked like she never throw a punch in her life. It was much different than her punches with her left hand. During the fight her punches packed quite a punch, and it was easy to see she knew how to wield that hunk of wood. Even if it was large and bulky.

Cherry would join Retuo in looking at the demon weapon. Her grey eyes gazing at the long spear, curious about all the power it held. "I guess so, in the end though I guess there our powers just show themselves in different ways. Yours take the shape of a spear, Eden's power took the form of that weird thing. Maybe it just depends on the person and their personality?" She mused on what could cause their powers to form differently.

"Oh. Okay." She took Retuo's answer at face value and didn't pry any deeper into it. "Oh I am sorry Retuo. I didn't mean any offensive. I just wanted to be poltie. I'll just call you by your name from now on........... Unless you'd like 'Retty' better? That's what Eden called you back then. How do you know them anyways? They don't seem like the type you'd hang around with a ton."

The teen would pitch her nose as she looked at the crushed fish. "Yeah, at least it didn't feel any pain." She'd agree with Retuo before going silent, just staring at the palm of her hand before she shook her head. "I don't know what I really thought was going to happen. This isn't anything new, this stupid thing always does this. Every time I try to grab something I'd end up breaking it." She has had this arm for a good five years now, and she was still not close to mastering it. And it made her so mad at times! Sometimes she'd get so mad, she'd have little fantasies of beating it with something or trying to saw it off her arm. But she never once acted on these impulses. She came close to, but something always stopped her.

After she stated her feelings about her arm, she'd turn her eyes back to Retuo, before moving the palm of the demon weapon towards him. "Do you want some fish?"