CD app: Rupert van Vuren

BASICS

NAME ► Rupert van Vuren, “Ruby”

AGE ► 20
In reality Ruby is about two times older, but has taken to riding the carousel to stay around 20. People don't frown at a 20-something acting childish as harshly as 40-something, after all.

GENDER ► Male

POKÉMON ► 302 Sableye

ABILITY ► Keen Eye (Prevents the Pokémon from losing accuracy)

JOB ► Sword swallower
He has a set of different swords/daggers he uses in his dangerous act. Usually he goes through them all during one 'show', takes a small break, and then starts over again. The swords can be found here

WISH

“I wanna be tough as nails!”

Ruby was just a kid when he made his wish. Being a bit too excited for such a chance, he didn't consider his wish too well.

Mr. Dark did made him tough as nails – though literally. Ruby’s skin turned into something stone-like, tough and almost impenetrable and his whole body suffered same kind of petrifying to a certain degree. His muscles and especially his joints are really, really stiff and almost always achy. Some days are better, some are worse. Moving is difficult to him and it’s not rare to see him tripping over his own feet. Were he to leave the circus grounds, he would slowly and inevitably turn completely to stone.

Due to the condition his skin is in, Ruby also lost his sense of touch practically completely. He doesn’t feel cold, hot or textures at all- but he is still somewhat able to feel pressure. Also his sense of pain is still intact. What more, if something somehow manages to break his skin – which usually causes cracks, not cuts - the pain is manifold compared to what somebody normal would feel. The damage would also take a lot more time to heal.

PERSONALITY

Quite a gem
Overall, Ruby is a nice guy. Despite the constant pain gnawing on his body, he tries his best to keep on a happy face and good spirits. There’s no fear that he’d take his pain out on others. All kinds of company is welcome to him - he loves chitchatting and is usually considered rather pleasant company. He’s laid-back, friendly and has a good sense of humor. He doesn’t even mind his feminine nickname- he is “quite a gem” after all, like he sometimes likes to point out.

I can do it myself, don't worry!
Ruby has a strong need to prove his worth despite – or because of - his condition. One of the few things that can actually make him pissed off at you is treating him like he’s somehow handicapped. Don’t try to help him unless he asks you to help – it will end badly and you won’t be getting any thanks. He doesn’t want others to think of him as a whiny weakling. It’s rare to hear him complain about his pains and he always does the jobs given to him as efficiently as he only can. While he might be somewhat stubborn in trying to do things alone, he’s usually wise enough to ask for help if he truly seems to need it.

Distraction, distractions
Even though moving isn’t easy for Ruby, he rarely stays still for a long time, unless the aching joints simply get unbearable. He’s constantly trying to find something to do and tends to poke his nose even into places where it doesn’t belong. If there’s anything new and intriguing around, you can be sure Ruby’s there head first to find out what it is. Sometimes he might even be annoying, but he just wants to keep his mind preoccupied to keep the pain away. If there’s nothing to do, it’s too easy to focus on the achy joints.

Do first, think later
Just like staying still, thinking and planning aren't exactly Ruby's cup of tea. He needs to be on move and do things instead of just pondering about them. Do first, think later. Even though this mentality backfires him every now and then, he hasn't learned his lesson yet. Most problems surface during different everyday tasks at the circus - he gets some brilliant idea but in the end it just complicates things more - but social situations aren't out of the danger zone either. He may say or do something inconsiderate and upset his company without meaning it. If an accident like this happens and he notices it, he is quick to apologize. The problem is that he doesn't always notice it- he's not too good at reading others or between the lines. If you have something to say to him, you better be frank with it.

Wanderlust
Oddly enough, Ruby doesn't seem to blame Mr. Dark for his painful condition. If you ask Ruby, he was a silly kid with a silly wish – he brought everything on himself. Sometimes life sucks like that and that’s it. He isn’t in such good terms with the fact he can’t leave the circus grounds, though. While he likes his job - it’s ever-changing and lets him meet new people every day - he undeniably feels like a prisoner at times. The last time he saw the world outside the circus was when he was six years old, after all; who can blame him for wanting to see the world outside the circus, wanting to travel around without the pain and the fear of petrifying? Till this day, however, he hasn't managed to gather up courage to do something about it. He does harbor a deep interest to stories about the world outside - it's all he has and it's what he make-does with.

I'm alright! Really!
With a quick look, it might seem that the desperate wanderlust is the only thing gnawing on Ruby, but the years of pain are also undeniably taking a toll on him. Not that he admits it, though - he keeps it well-hidden, some might say that he hides it even from himself and make believes that everything is okay. Still, there are times when he feels rather miserable and tired, and after a long day of bad joint pains it’s easy to see through his feeble smile. Even then it’s generally useless to try comforting him, for he brushes the issues aside – he just can’t admit he might need help. He just can’t admit that maybe, maybe he isn't as okay with his fate as he likes to think he is - it'd only make things even worse, right? It'd only add to the problems he has to deal with...

In short: A man child who lives in denial and runs away from his problems.

LIKES _ hard candy, hot baths, board games, carving wood, cushy chairs, kids, climbing trees
DISLIKES _ winter, waiting, fire, sharp items, running, nitpicky persons, people disrespecting Johan

HISTORY

HOME TOWN ► Petalburg City

As a kid Ruby was a rather wild case, always running around and causing havoc. Still, his parents loved their little rascal. So, when a circus came to their home town shortly after Ruby's sixth birthday, of course the little Sableye got to visit it. He was completely charmed by the circus and all of its magnificent acts, but there was one which caught his eye over all else – the high striker. The supervisor of the high striker was an old Kyogre who looked formidable to say the least- but instead of being scared, Ruby was awestruck.

Ruby begged his parents to get a try on the high striker, and even they deemed it a bit silly, they caved in to their son’s burning enthusiasm; the circus visit was kind of the kid’s birthday gift, after all. When Ruby - just a tiny beginning of a Sableye back then – came to the high striker with burning with determination, the supervising Kyogre seemed a bit amused, but handed over the mallet for the game anyway.

Sadly, even Ruby’s overflowing enthusiasm wasn’t enough to overcome the fact that the mallet just was too big and heavy for the tiny, young Sableye to lift. The momentarily sadness over his failure was quickly erased when the supervisor gave him a gentle pat on the back, telling him to come try again after a few years – surely he’d ace the striker after he’d grown up a bit! Encouraged and happy again, Ruby returned to his parents to continue exploring the circus.

Shortly after Ruby saw another tall figure – only more slender and dark. The man waved at Ruby to come to him and being a curious little thing, the kid jogged over. It turned out that the man was no else but Mr. Dark, the Ringmaster himself. As if it wasn’t amazing enough, the Darkrai also told he could grant the boy one wish. Ruby didn’t pay it a second thought, just wished for the very first thing that popped into his mind: he wanted to be strong like the Kyogre supervising the high striker! Unfortunately, in his childish glee, the small Sableye worded his wish badly: "I want to be tough as nails!"

The next morning after the circus visit, Ruby’s parents woke up to their child’s loud crying. Through tears the little Sableye managed to tell that everything hurt and he couldn't move. His father tried to help him to move his legs, but was only frightened to find out that the child's body was as stiff as stone. Of course the parents called a doctor immediately – but even the doctor was left speechless by the kid’s condition. All he could do was to give some medicine to the pain and a promise to consult his colleagues. Ruby was taken to a nearest hospital.

The small Sableye spent the next days completely bed-ridden and in terrible pain. His parents did their best to be on their son's side, but it was little help - until, after a week had passed, Ruby suddenly felt slightly better. The pain was almost gone, and he could move his legs. Needless to say, his parents were overjoyed. They promised their child that they could celebrate however he wanted, no matter the cost. Ruby asked to be taken to the circus again, wanting to see its wonders again.

The circus was just as wonderful as it had been before, and exchilarated about being able to move again, Ruby couldn't contain his excitement and ran forward - managing to get separated from his parents. He didn't even notice it until his pains suddenly flared up again, making him fall on the ground. When he looked up, he realized that his parents weren't anywhere nearby to help him.

He was on the edge of panic, but then he saw the ringmaster again. The Darkrai seemed to remember him too, and taking a note on the boy's distress, asked what was wrong. Ruby told him about the mysterious sickness that had overcome him, the pain, and how he needed to get back to hospital. Instead of seeking for his parents as Ruby had expected to, Mr. Dark made an offer - he could make the pains go away, but only if the Sableye promised to stay in his circus.

With childish naivety, Ruby agreed. When his parents tried to search for him, they were given a made-up story about some shady figure carrying the boy away. Unfortunately, the parents swallowed the story hook, line and sinker.

Ruby, on the other hand, noticed that his pain was reducing again. It didn't go away completely, but enough to allow him to move. He was thankful for this "cure" and went on to fulfill his side of the deal. It didn’t take long before he met the high striker supervisor again – and when the Kyogre realized what had happened, he took Ruby under his wing, becoming kind of an adoptive father for the little, now parentless Sableye.

At first Ruby worked as a roustabout in the circus, every now and then also being a sidekick for the Kyogre at the high striker – with a little trick some might call cheating, even the small Sableye was able to ace the striker, and it worked as a good, encouraging bait for customers. As years went by, Ruby slowly learned to cope with his stiff and achy body, and eventually he began learning sword swallowing. Due to his condition, even his throat was somewhat hardened, which made swallowing deadly blades easy.

MOVESET

[ Normal ] Scratch _ Hard, pointed, and sharp claws rake the target to inflict damage.
[ Ghost ] Confuse Ray _ The target is exposed to a sinister ray that triggers confusion.
[ Ghost ] Shadow Ball _ The user hurls a shadowy blob at the target. It may also lower the target's Sp. Def stat.
[ Rock ] Power Gem _ The user attacks with a ray of light that sparkles as if it were made of gemstones.

EXTRA

► About 165 cm/5'5" tall, thus kind of a small guy.
► Birthday February 29th
► He can't close or move his eye in any way. Because of it, he has to turn his whole head to move his gaze.
► His eye can't produce tears, either.
► His ears are quite expressive and a good telltale of his current mood.
► He talks a lot with his hands.
► He has to be extremely careful during winter to avoid getting frostbites, as well as around open fires to avoid getting burns. Since he has practically no sense of touch, he can't know when something is too cold or hot to touch- and when the pain sensations kick in, it's already too late. In fact, he has lost his right pinky finger to a severe frostbite.
► Besides the dangerous cold, he dislikes winter also because it makes his skin dry and easier to crack than usual. At worst colds the skin may even crack all by itself, which, obviously, is painful. He uses different kinds of lotions during winter to fix the problem.
► Due to the stiff muscles and achy joints, he has a distinguishable, kind of limping gait.
► He's hopeless at counting. He was so young when he joined the circus that he never get a chance to study- so, he can barely count to ten.
► His name memory is also plain terrible.
► He refers to his blades affectionately with female pronouns, and treats them just as lovingly.
► He lives in the same room with Johan, thus residents in the Atelier car despite being a member of Lune.

PET

NAME ► Fiore

Espurr | male | Keen Eye
[ Normal ] Scratch _ [ Normal ] Leer _ [ Psychic ] Confusion _ [ Psychic ] Light Screen

Fiore is kind of an opposite side of Ruby. The Espurr is rather timid, usually sticking close to his owner, either clinging on Ruby's legs or sitting on his shoulder. Fiore isn't very trustful towards strangers, and any fast movements towards him can make him flee under Ruby's hat in seconds. However, if you're willing to take it slow, the Espurr will eventually let you closer, and may even appreciate getting a gentle scratch.

► Pet meme