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Fandom ᴅᴀʀᴋ ᴍᴀᴛᴇʀɪᴀʟꜱ, ᴅᴀʀᴋᴇʀ ᴍɪɴᴅꜱ - 𝟏𝐱𝟏

Dare Doxly
and Nasti

For a few minutes, she felt like she was floating. A multitude of stimuli attacked her senses relentlessly, all vying for her undivided attention. She watched as the flurry of people raiding the scene carried off Margo, and for a split second, she wondered if she'd be left there, deemed too much trouble to retrieve. Rescuing herself from the clutches of the damned table was pointless. The more she pulled against the table's pressure, the more the jagged metal wall of the ship cut into her. Her fears were eased when a large and intimidating woman stalked over and ripped the table away from the arm in a single terrifying attempt.
Nasti visibly displayed his person's solace as the table was moved, slumping slightly as he stayed pressed to the ground. He snarled slightly as they aimed the gun steadily at him once again.

Dare couldn't help but let out a sigh of slight relief as the pressure was taken off her arm. Without the shards of metal anchored into her, she was able to reclaim some clarity of mind. She cradled her wound, gazing at the wide ring of spliced skin that formed on her upper arm a few inches past her elbow. She didn't see any bone poking out, so she was hopeful whatever break had occurred may have only been a fracture.


"Damn," she muttered, grateful it wasn't worse, but still quite frustrated at the damage. She glared at the doctor as he approached, reluctant to entrust some stranger with her well-being after he and his settlement were the reason she was injured in the first place. The herbs, though they stung when applied, slowly made the pain dissipate.

With her head a bit clearer, she was ready to lay into anyone that so much as looked at her. "I'm Dare Doxly. The lot of you should have known that though, since I informed Fred Thessle we were coming. What kind of moronic assholes run this place? To shoot down a friendly ship? A ship with vital information regarding your situation, no less!"

Despite being bit more relaxed herself, she still felt a strange sense of dread creeping in. It took her only a moment to realize it was Nasti, who was afraid. Seeing the shotgun aimed at her beloved companion, she shoved Reymond away and scrambled to her feet, quickly putting herself between Nasti and the weapon. "Put the gun down! What is wrong with you people?" She yelled, waving her uninjured arm around as she spoke, baffled by the treatment from the people who were supposed to welcome her and Margo as guests. "Get the gun out of here! Why the hell would you be waving that around? And why would you shoot us down!" As she was yelling, she had spotted Mauve holding the captain's belongings.

"You killed him." She said blankly, refusing to let tears overtake her. "You killed my friend! How dare you...you... You freaks! You animals! You barbaric clowns! I'd have some sense it get the hell out of here. Screw you," she said as she pointed towards Mauve, "And screw your lost daughter. Why the hell would we help if you start killing us off before we even manage to land??"

Ms.Quimby's expression turned furious as Dare mentioned her daughter. She began to storm towards her but was gently stopped by her husband. "Give her a moment to let it out, Mauve. Neither of them deserved this," he reasoned, gesturing towards the screaming Dare, and Margo.
 
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Reymond
+ Azra

Ymir peeled her lips back, revealing yellowing canines, a throttle exhaust of warning. The instinctive urge to attack the injured highborn woman as she leapt toward Craig’s gun barrel was tempting… Such bravery was foolish as much as it was hauntingly admirable. The mastiff licked her lips, slurping strings of drool up with it, the folds around her eyes narrowed with intense disbelief. She quickly looked up to Craig, awaiting further instruction. Their hearts pounded in rapid synchronisation. Dare Doxly’s erratic yelling made a clear point, so subtly, by revealing the whites of his eyes did Ymir back off. He returned the gun to its shoulder strap, as soon as Edgar placed a hand on Mauve’s shoulder, the tension dissipating like bursting soda bubbles.

Lila climbed onto the ledge where Oren was standing. She took each precaution of be weary, Mauve’s anger was blistering through him. His feathers twitched with anger yet still, he lowered his head to the ground to see what his partner dæmon had to say. She reached out to stroke Oren’s head, pressing her leathery fingers onto the crane’s tight plumage.
“The other woman, the one with that small monkey dæmon, did you see where she went?” Lila sent a flutter of concern toward Edgar who, keeping his arm on Mauve’s shoulder, turned to accept her request.

Reymond was aghast to see Dare spring up so quickly. He took it upon himself to deescalate the situation;
“Ms. Doxly, was it? I need you to calm down. You may feel relief but it’s just the adrenaline caused by the herb… I don’t want you to injure further.” he frowned, already noticing blood seeping from her bandage. Reymond turned to Edgar, the chief of Fallsburn, who was holding his wife back. The look of rage in her eyes only became more concentrated, Reymond was frightened she would strike Dare and cause the fight Craig seemed to be edging toward.

The doctor knew how much hatred Craig held for the mainland residents. The disappearance of his fiancé devoured him and his relationship with Eva was openly becoming brittle. He could not help but pity the man who was a regular patron at his mother’s tavern. With a wave of his hand, he signalled Azra to tend to the tiger dæmon, he did not want to aggravate Dare further. To lay his hands on her vulnerable dæmon was the worst thing he could think of doing…

Azra plodded cautiously down to the not-so white Siberian tiger. His fur was matted with some wounds and was dirtied from the smog and dust. She bared her teeth at Ymir, who was backed further away now and introduced herself politely to Nasti.
“This is not the best situation to be acquainted in…” she shook her head, muttering rather inaudibly, “My name is Azra. Ignore Ymir, she’s more bark than bite." The dæmon in question sulked under Craig’s legs, not keeping her eyes off of the honey badger, though the dog was emitting waves of submission. “Anyway, I need to see these wounds if you’d allow me to touch you. They might need attention from Reymond, the doctor who bandaged Ms Doxly’s arm… We do not want them becoming infected now, do we...” The badger shook her broad head. Her voice was pitched to a tone of comfort, she rarely spoke to anybody socially apart from Blaine and Bebe. The voice she was using was Reymond’s so-called professional voice. She awaited his reply, her beady eyes intent on listening.

*
Edgar whistled at Craig, who was on the verge of skulking off, the chief despite his tender heart had a great, visceral presence about him.
“It would be best if you took Mauve away from Dare,” Mauve’s face glistened with saddened fury “Send for Eva and the others to clean up this wreckage… We can’t have it destroying any more farmland.” Craig nodded, just in time to see Lila climb away from Oren onto the chief’s shoulder. She muttered something discreetly into his ear but his face replied with little context.

Craig and Mauve breathlessly took themselves away from the wreckage.
“This was no mistake in my eyes... I can assure you, Ms. Quimby… We will find your daughter… I also don’t trust that white haired woman one bit and I don't care if she's angry... She should never say such things, especially about Adeline.” He grumbled, fuelling Mauve’s dispute. Oren glided closer to the ground with Ymir hot on his heels. They did not make it far before noticing Blaine. The young man seemed to be bawling his eyes out. Ymir stopped in her tracks as Oren landed gracefully by her side. Mauve’s face softened for a moment, remembering that she announced the news that his mistake killed a man, she whispered to Craig the details who nodded.
“Some snobby asshole, I wouldn’t worry, son.” He placed a roughened hand on his shoulder and wiped his tears with a torn handkerchief.
 
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  • Dare whipped her attention back to the doctor now that Nasti was no longer under the barrel of a gun. She heaved with anger, even more so now that he has told her to calm down. In her time on the mainlands, she has prided herself on her ability to hide her anger. This was no longer just anger, though. This was turning into unadulterated rage.

    “I’m sorry,” she started, walking towards Reymond with heavy stomps. “Let’s set out our little timeline here. First, People go missing at Fallsburn, then items go missing at oxford. The culprits are the same people. Me and my travel partner make our way to Fallsburn in order to combine forces to achieve a common goal. Then, you all try to kill us, and successfully slaughter Walter Steinman? That sounds like a damn trap to me. And besides… People will come looking for him. He was important, unlike the lot of you.” At this point she had made her way to Reymond, inches from his face, though she had to look up at him. She wasn't screaming, but rather had lowered her voice to a whisper.

    She got closer, hoping the proximity would give her an opportunity to unclasp her weapon from the holster on her hip. Earlier, there were too many people surrounding her to give her an opportunity to pull her pistol out. There was no doubt in her mind that Mr.Black wasn’t the only armed person on the scene. Now that most people had made their way to Blaine, she was more isolated. The cold tip of her pistol pressed into Rey’s stomach.

    “Listen.” Dare demanded. “One man already died. Let's not make it two. Don’t make so much as a sound. Get your glorified rodent away from my daemon, and tell me where I can find a ship or something. Anything I can use to get the hell out of this shithole”

    Nasti had perked up, realizing what Dare had just done. “Darelene Beatrice Doxly,” he said slowly, as not to scare her and make her finger slip to the trigger. “Put it back.”

    She had no intention of listening, even more angered at the sound of her full name. "Nasti, you forget your place. And you. Dr.Turner, was it? Answer me."

 

Reymond
+ Azra

The gun’s lip kissed him directly below his sternum. Reymond could feel the pressure of the cool metal through his shirt and his muscular reaction was instinctive. He tensed as a bout of adrenaline hit him, bracing for the possibility of a bullet tearing through his body. The doctor issued a breath of air, in an attempt to keep his posture unwavering. Azra remained unreactive albeit terrified; the honey badger placed one large paw lightly in front of the other in an attempt to get as close to her companion as she could. If death did greet them this afternoon, then she would want to be as close to Reymond as possible… The thought of ceasing to exist erupted a plethora of mixed sentiments; Where exactly did dæmons go when they died?

It was not until the tiger stepped forward, did a weak spark of hope ignite, however Reymond’s mouth remained dry and fuzzy. He outwardly yielded, raising his hands in the air, careful not to fuel her rage anymore. He carefully stepped to the side, allowing the gun to follow his movement; he did not want the others to see the confrontation. He replied to her question in a soft tone, in an attempt to remain understanding and respectful.
“We do not own airships, only boats– Please Ms. Doxly–” he didn’t want to insult her however his panic was beginning to show as Azra touched his boot with her paw. He did not take her eyes off of Dare, the longing to bring Azra close to him made him feel as meek as a little boy, “The closest city is probably seven day’s travel by vessel and if you kill me, then how would you manage to leave?” His pupils hinted toward her bandaged arm that continued to weep.

Mauve’s face opened with an appalled gape, she could not believe how ignorant Craig was. Despite holding no pity toward the dead pilot, to say things to such a sensitive soul was totally idiotic. The man was too stunned to realise what had induced such an explosive reaction from the boy although Ymir did. She scolded Craig with a throaty growl before
following Blaine back to the wreckage, forcing Craig to follow him back up the hill.
“Excuse us, Ms. Quimby… Please can you get Eva and the team? Just so I can quickly apologise to Blaine!” Craig turned back, ushering the chief’s wife to continue his previous instruction.

His burning bright hair seemed to be dampened with soot and his cheeks glistened with what looked like snail trails from dried away tears. The relief that encapsulated him was astonishing, to view the musician's familiar face was one last gift… Reymond’s eyes shimmered away from Dare’s and into bright blue eyes, suddenly his heart skipped a beat and he did not feel so alone or vulnerable; even with the gun digging into his stomach.
“Blaine wait…” It was Ymir, the mastiff dæmon. She was breathless and panting having sprinted away from Mr Black who had just about managed to pull his aching body up the hill in an even worse state. Ymir’s folded eyes pulled back in disbelief as she saw the position Reymond found himself in. She did not know whether to shout for help or remain still. She chose the latter and backed away cowardly toward Craig.
 
Dare Doxly
and Nasti


Blaine Wyres

and Bebe


She looked up at the terrified man, letting out slow and controlled breaths as she tried to think of a plan. She needed a boat, the doctor, and to find Margo... Last she saw her auburn-haired partner; she had been headed towards the settlement with James in tow. She'd have to pass through the settlement to reach the docs, so she would worry about them on the way. For now, her primary concern was to get away from the crash site unnoticed, most preferably taking Reymond with her. He was right, after all. She had no idea how to treat her own wounds, and he would know the area much better than herself.

Dare's breath hitched as she realized how many eyes had suddenly fell on her. A disheveled, fiery haired young man came walking down the hill, still with fear as Dare held a gun to his best friend's gut. His little squirrel peered out from his pocket, looking equally afraid. Blaine took a few careful steps forward, holding his hands out as a sign of piece. "Hey, You're Dare, right? We can help you-"
Dare, not wanting him to get closer, forced Reymond to turn as Blaine talked, facing him away from her, only to point the gun against his head. "Stay there!" she yelled, switching her aim between Reymond and Blaine.

Getting the memo, Blaine backed off. He looked towards Reymond, holding back another line of tears. Sure, he believed he deserved to have some kind of divine discipline for costing the life of another, but why Reymond? He had Blaine's best friends since they were kids. Even now, they did everything together. In a short collection of moments, a million memories flooded his mind. Every time he had ended up in Rey's office with a bloody nose... Bebe chewing Rey's desk... teasing Azra... bringing in scrapped mainland newspapers for Rey to read... everything they had ever done haunted him, making him feel sick to his stomach at the thought of that all ending. He covered his mouth, stifling a gag, trying to keep composed, if not for his friend.

Ymir came running down the hill, unaware of the standoff going on. Dare hadn't anticipated the sudden movement and aimed the gun in Blaine's direction. Her trembling finger caused her to accidently set off a round, hitting Ymir's left paw, causing the beast to yelp in pain, Dr.Black's cry coming from just beyond the hill as he felt his daemon's injury.

Frightened by the sound of the shot, Blaine dove to the side, landing on his elbows as not to crush Bebe during the fall. From Dane's perspective, it looked as though she might of shot him rather than the whimpering mastiff. After a moment of silently baited breaths, Blaine's head shot up, and Bebe scurried out from under him, proving they were alive and well.

Brief relief washed over Dare as she realized she hadn't killed him, but she took her slip up as an opportunity to intimidate anyone that would stop her from leaving.

"See that?" She asked from behind Reymond in a loud voice, hoping those on and around the hill would hear. "I will hurt who I have to! Work with me so my next shot isn't lethal!"

She glanced around, seeing the small cage the gyptians had shoved James into earlier... that could work. A sliver of a plan started to form as she backed up and kicked it towards Nasti and Azra, never letting her attention or the gun fully turn away from Reymond. "Nasti. Put her in it, then move the cage in front of Dr. Turner. Sir, when it is in front of you, lock it, and pick it up. We are going to walk towards the town."

"You're taking this too far, Dare," Nasti mumbled, slowly limping his way to Azra. He didn't touch her, hoping she would get in the cage herself rather than force the tiger's hand... paw?
He whispered to her, saying "I'm sorry. All I can say is that Dare is as scared as you are, and that the best thing you can do is comply for now. She needs Reymond, so her wound wouldn't get infected during her travels." He grabbed the cage with his teeth, setting it upright for Azra to safely climb into. It would be a tight fit, and Nasti's expression showed a great deal of pity for her.

 

Reymond
+ Azra

Explosive agony spread through the paw of the great beast-dog, tearing through her paw and up her leg, her shoulder collapsing in on itself. The monstrous animal collapsed, yowling and thrashing with pain as a spray of claret burst from the ankle joint. Reymond winced; from his position he could have swore he saw the white of jutting bones. He did not attempt to suggest the dæmon however it was a clean shot; damages may be long lasting and lead to amputation but would not call to death. Reymond gulped, dabbing his forehead with his sleeve, still remaining submissive with his arms in the air. If Dare wanted to leave, they’d have to be quick, the scream of the pistol-shot would attract more attention, something she did not seem to think about. Luckily Reymond had a good view to know it was not Blaine who was shot.

Azra did not bother to argue; she did not need to look at Nasti directly, however knew how it was going to play out. She splayed her short tail and held her nose high before continuing as instructed. She was larger than expected; the cage was indeed a tight fit and she had to coil her body in an oval to get in completely. The wire dug into her paw pads and her extended claws pushed out from the bottom, the badger continued to ignore Nasti’s apology. Realistically, she could probably have succeeded in attacking the tiger dæmon due to the state both were in. Her level headedness proved that Dare was too flighty– it would have been a tight gamble with their life. Any more sudden movements could result in the bullet through Reymond– or Blaine for the matter– rather than the soft spot of Ymir’s foot.

She was also heavier than expected the tiger to struggle when pushing her over to Rey. She dug herself down like a deadweight; purposely making it more difficult for him. Once settled in the cage, with the lock twisted in confirmation Reymond declared her a prisoner did she slump her head down in utmost defeat. The honey badger dæmon somehow managed to close her eyes, knowing she was as close to her soulmate as possible was all that mattered.

“Can we put the gun away now?” Rey bravely piped up, as the oldest man on the site, he took it upon himself to bring some confidence to Blaine who’s pallor was as white as a ghost. “You have made me cage my dæmon hostage and maim a good friend of ours.” he nodded toward Ymir who was whimpering at the top of the wreck now. The mastiff did not seem as big as she did previously and with Mr. Black currently nowhere to be seen, Rey’s suggestion to hurry the situation forward was wise. “We will be compliant and follow everything you say Ms. Doxly. We should move from the site, if I remember correctly… The Chief of the Fallsburn Gyptians had left to gather more troops. Blaine, did you see Mauve before you ran back here?” He could not hide the natural slither of smugness in his voice. A trait that had always been slick in his voice when under pressure, “I was not there to listen to Edgar’s instructions however under the deduction of leftover jobs… She probably would have reached Eva and the other skirmishers by now…” The confidence was not new found as he had always been quick-witted he slowly retraced his steps into a half circle to face Dare head on. “Didn’t you have a friend with you?”

Margo
+ James

James had no idea where Margo was taking him. The dæmon was not fully recovered from the previous fight, his whole body ached as if he’d just been cut up and sewn together again like some Frankenstien’s monster. He did manage to muster up the strength to peer out from behind her armpit. The smoke from the crash site still heaved into the sky.
“I think we should head back to Dare…” he finally squeaked, nudging her abruptly.
“I think you should be quiet.” she snapped, rubbing her temples in an attempt to recollect some sort of sanity, upon reopening her eyes, she swore abruptly. “Shit.”

In the distance she could just make out a small smudge in the horizon. A small group, probably made up of about three or two, were making their way up the hill. They seemed to be wheeling barrows and spades.... Margo’s heart skipped a beat. She averted her gaze down to James, whose face was smug yet silent. She suppressed her dissatisfaction, as to not fuel his pride, and raced back toward the site of the airship disaster with him clinging onto her shirt.

She skipped past a fallen, unrecognisable man whose face was slick with pain and back into the main site, where she last witnessed Dare crushed. She opened her mouth in disbelief and threw an onslaught of surprise at her.
“What are you doing! Why are you still here? There’s more of these… These savages one their way!” She did not notice the gun pressed against Reymond’s stomach, or the dæmon in the cage… Or the frightened ginger-haired boy…! All she could focus on was pulling Dare away with no composure to herself, she begged Dare. “Quickly. We have to leave.”
 
Dare Doxly
and Nasti


Blaine Wyres
and Bebe



"Y-yeah...yeah! they should be on their way!" Blaine answered unsteadily, glancing between Ymir and Reymond, deeply concerned for both.

Nasti hissed slightly at the soreness of his leg, having a good deal of trouble trying to move Azra. At least she didn't resist... at least not in a way that caused real trouble.

"Damnit," Dare muttered, listening to Reymond grow slightly more confident, likely realizing his value thanks to his doctoral skills and knowledge of the areas surrounding Fallsburn. "This gun is the only way I can guarantee you'll comply to my demands. It's not going anywhere beside the back of your head." her stern voice echoed. She began to poke him with it, gesturing the settlement. "Alright. Start walking. Take me to the docks."


Dare was grateful to have seen Margo approaching, now feeling like she had an ally. "Quick! take that man's shot gun! If we get caught before we escape, we will need it!" She yelled. "We are going to get on a boat and get the hell out of here."

She began to move with Reymond, forcing him ahead of her, keeping him at a distance that would give her a moment to react, should he suddenly gain the confidence to resist. Little did Dare know that a certain fire haired boy began following them. He ran, grabbed Reymon's medical bag, his guitar, and snuck off towards Reymond's office, successfully headed towards the village unnoticed. He saw the cleanup team as he headed towards Rey's office, bit didn't say a word. Having them involved would greatly increase Rey's likelihood of not making it out alive, which was simply not an option for Blaine.

"We should grab a few things and then follow him," Bebe said with a heroic tone to her.
"Of course, silly," Blaine answered, "Why else would I have come to his office? We need to grab medicine, money... maybe food too!" He began collecting everything he had mentioned and shoving them into the satchel, grabbing another bag when there was no more room. Once he was satisfied with his collection, he darted out of the office, hoping to stealthily follow Margo and Dare to the docks.
 

Margo
+ James

“Yes… The gun…” Margo took it upon herself to undo the shoulder strap from the man who groaned in and out of consciousness. It was a heavy and awkward weapon, built more for broader shoulders and more muscular posture. She did not dare admit aloud to the fact that she had no idea how to use it but she clicked it into a tighter position. James was forced to clamber down from her back, as she adjusted it around her arm. The squirrel monkey ran to Nasti with concern as he pushed the caged badger across the ground. The man Dare was holding hostage was quick to comply with her commands, leading them the opposite direction, away from the village and closer to the estuaries.

“Oh dear,” James whispered, careful not to disturb the tiger too much as he heaved the cage forward. He was more concerned with the strain it was causing him. “I wish I was of more use, Nasti. I feel so ridiculous in this little body… I could not even fight back against a koala-formed dæmon…” The badger could not help but huff with amusement, causing James to bare his teeth, pull back his small ears hiss defiantly, “You two are lucky. With formidable bodies like you have, you could possibly take down a small armoured bear…”

Eva
+ Pippin.

“What are you doing here?” The young woman questioned Blaine with stark judgement, standing in the door frame of the office, tapping her heel impatiently with her hands placed on her hips, “where is Doctor Turner?” She already expected Blaine to answer the question with a question. “I’ve not been myself recently, which is why I did not attend the clearance of the crash site. Mr Turner has been prescribing me with St John's Wort and it hasn’t been helping hence why I am here also…” her voice grew hushed as she stepped fully into the office, Blaine did not look like his usual, perky self. “Oh, Blaine, why do you look so frightened?”
 
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  • Nasti let out a little relieved chuff as he had seen James coming, glad he was safe. The tiger looked at James in confusion for a moment, thinking of a reply to his insecurities. "I thought monkeys were smart," Nasti said with a raised eyebrow. "A smart monkey would know not only to value strength. One's strength can be stripped of them, easily, just as Dare's wound takes mine from me. But wisdom and intellect are not so easily commandeered." He glanced at Azra, who had sneered at James. Nasti's nose crinkled in disapproval, not that it would have mattered to the badger.

    Dare marched Reymond onward, motioning for Margo to follow. "We have what we need. Lets go," she commanded, walking down a lesser travelled path to the village, hidden by brush, effectively hiding them from on help that had been coming. They had passed by Rey's office, just close enough for those inside to have seen the scurry off like roaches to the docks.

    There were not many options in terms of vessels, but one seemed big enough to hold them as well as a crew, should they find willing hands at the next town. It didn't seem too big to manage, and had several small rooms in the bottom, all still furnished and packed, likely for a recently planned journey. How convenient. She walked Reymond onto the ship and towards a mast in the bow, just below the main deck. She forced him by his shoulders to sit, and had Margo aim the shotgun at him. Dare bound his hands, preventing escape, and found some metalic wire to tether Azra's cage to the wall a short distance from Rey.


    "My partner and I going above deck to prep for travel. Don't go anywhere," she said smugly before walking back up the stairs, leaving the doctor alone in the dark area below the stairs.
 
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  • She knew very little about ships, but just enough to get this one going. It was the strangest ship she had ever seen, looking somewhat like a mini version of a cargo ship. She had a bit of trouble making her way to the control booth, unable to find it at first. just as she spotted it, she heard a thud from below her. Nasti and Dare looked at each other for a moment of confusion but brushed it off. The second they heard James cry out, Nasti was keen and ready to defend him. Just as the tiger had started sprinting to the stairs, dare hot on his tail, James appeared, weeping and talking about Margo hitting him??

    Dare seemed just as confused as Nasti. There was no way someone as smart as Margo was foolish enough to abuse her daemon, especially not in the presence of others. Dare was torn between believing this was not her business and wanting to knock some sense into Margo for tormenting her daemon rather than helping with the ship.
    "Margo!" she yelled angrily. "We need to get the boat as far from this place as possible, unless you'd like to spend the day with the gyptians? I'm sure they'd love to hear your theories on daemon bond severing." she said sarcastically, growing more irritated as it took them longer to leave than she liked. "Get some sense in your head or I will toss you overboard!"

    For a moment, Dare wondered how James could go so far from Margo without being hurt by the disconnect. Were they already severed? Was Margo just that distant with her daemon, the physical manifestation of her soul? The thoughts that followed gnawed at Dare's conscience, but she dismissedher concerns for the sake of trying to escape the settlement.

    Nasti stepped forward to comfort James, but the stench radiating off of the monkey's soiled fur kept Nasti at bay. The tiger looked to Dare, who rolled her eyes, but decided to help. She searched around the deck for a bucket, and as soon as she found one, she filled it with water from the harbor. "We don't have soap," Nasti began to say, "But at least you'll feel a bit cleaner." The big beast pushed past the smell and picked up James by the scruff as he had earlier. He gently lowered him into the bucket, backing away for a moment to give monkey a chance to sort himself out.
    "Get cleaned up," Nasti instructed. "After that, I'm sure we can find something to dry you off with."

 
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  • Mortified, the shivering monkey avoided direct eye contact or conversation with the regal white tiger. His teeth chattered and his throat emitted a squeak as he was plummeted into the bucket. Once scrubbing himself clean in the discoloured river water, he knew how indebted he was to Dare’s dæmon. He will not forget Nasti’s solicitude; for aiding him out of the depths of humiliation... James kept his face out of the water though the tears that streamed from his eyes made it look like he had already dunked his face in it. James appreciated the privacy yet with Nasti distancing himself it made him feel much more alone.

    Upon hearing Margo’s name being called by Dare, James cowered slightly, further into the water. His eyes wide with alarm, not recognising her as she stormed up the stairs obediently toward Ms. Doxly on the upper deck. The woman did not hold much decorum; she looked extravagantly crazed, her eyes burnt with hot fury yet her skin was pasty and slick with sallowness. She still carried the shotgun but it looked as if it was aching her as she walked with a limp.
    “He touched the gyptian man!” she cleared her throat, attempting to reconcile the situation. The look she received from Dare was of pure disgust, warning her to hold her tongue. James backed out of the bucket, not paying much attention to the fact that he was dripping wet. He shrank behind Nasti, instinctively gripping the tiger’s white fur with his wet hands. He had stopped crying now, blinking away the last of the tears, burning with integrity. The confidence he had been granted behind the tiger's huge body allowed him to speak.
    “If you need help starting the boat, Ms. Doxly. I’m sure I can be of use…” He was not intentionally questioning her ability to man the boat but noticed her growing frustration with the mechanisms. Before he got up to aid, Margo unexpectedly unwrapped her scarf and handed it to her dæmon. James snatched it without a word, her olive branch was of no regard.
 


  • Blaine reached his arm out to brace Rey, surprised by the sudden jolt. Bebe rolled across the floor, giggling slightly as she lost her balance. "Shh!" Blaine said with a smirk, walking over to pick her up and place her back in his pocket once everyone was stable again. "Sorry," Bebe whispered back.

    "Severing?" Blaine asked with his head cocked to the side, but gasped in surprise as he was dragged into a cupboard. He winced as his back hit the wall behind him. The impact accidently jolted Bebe out of his pocket with a squeak. He felt the thump of her head and opened his mouth to ask if she was ok, but quickly covered it as he heard steps coming down the stairs.

    Everything happened so quickly! The yelling, the skunk spray, and the dropped shotgun. He looked to Eva for a split second, wondering if he could pull off the sudden idea he had. He made sure Bebe was back in his pocket before rolling out of the cupboard and grabbing the shotgun. "SIT!" he yelled to Margo, aiming the barrel at her. He tried his best not to gag at the smell surrounding him and stay composed as he threatened someone for the first time. He did everything he could not to seem terrified, hoping his demands were convincing enough to elicit obedience.

    He heard more steps follow, likely Dare coming after Margo. He quickly turned the barrel at the tiger who appeared first, causing it to back away. Dare tripped, and her gun ended up just in front of him, but not before it accidentally went off. "Is everyone ok?" he asked, looking around to see who, if anyone, was hurt. As he looked around the room, he took the opportunity to kick the abandoned gun to Eva, fully disarming the two oxford girls.


 

  • As soon as Blaine caught the gun off the floor, in what was considered an almighty flair of blind stupidity, did Reymond spring into action. He kicked himself up from the chair, whistled through his teeth, directing for Azra to leap out of the cage and meet by Blaine’s side. He pushed the frame of his glasses up the bridge of his nose, examining the scene. He felt little pity for the woman, who was still clawing at her eyes in vicious desperation, however he could not bring himself to further punish her. It was not in his nature to retaliate with equal violence.

    Reymond did not trust Blaine’s judgement with the gun, he prayed that the two Oxford women did not make any more sudden movements considering Blaine’s emotional sensitivity. However he did not instruct his friend to back down, knowing it was key for the two women to comply.

    The second woman, Ms. Doxly, came tumbling down the stairs, a dramatic entrance for such a dramatic woman. Surprisingly, Blaine was already hot on her heels, booting the pistol as it spun across the floor, hurdling like a game of Russian Roulette. The round that was released whipped at lightning speed through the room, artfully imploding the control panel of the boat. Pieces of debris flung in the air, there was a screech and whirr and a flash of light. The power flickered at full capacity, illuminating the deck before fizzling out with a pop. The boat hurled forward, however the steadiness of the journey terminated, they were at bay with the current now.

    Azra’s beady eyes flashed with a concern for Ms. Doxly, who had fallen on her maimed arm though now was not the time to administer medical aid. The muscular bodied badger dug her claws into the slick, varnished wood surface as the ship joggled and spluttered. Unsteady rhythms of waves knocked the vessel around in a queasy motion yet it seemed they were obviously not progressing at all.

    “Blaine, Ms. Doxly is clearly injured, the other woman is now disarmed… The ship has now stopped!” He groaned as he ran his fingers through his dark hair, exasperated from the stress of the day. “As long as we continue to fight we’re not going to get anywhere!” With a last breath of unexpectedness, he stepped forward and offered a hand to Ms. Doxly, to help her up. Though his eyes narrowed with disquiet and he leaned into help the woman. “Now, tell me why you’re here and everything you know about this ‘dæmon separation’ crap.”

 

  • As soon as the shotgun was lowered away from her, she sucked in a deep sigh of relief. She laid still for a moment, trying to allow the pain to subside from her arm. Her back ached, likely a reflection of Nasti's pain from where she had tripped on him. "You ok?" she asked through a stifled groan. "Yes," The white tiger answered, hardly managing to get to his feet. He limped his way over to Dare, nuzzling into her side as he tried to offer support. She managed to worm her way back onto her knees, so she was at least not chest first in the floor anymore.

    Nasti's ears pressed back as Reymond approached, eliciting a small snarl, a simple warning Rey not to do something that would force the beast to defend Dare. She waved dismissively, halting Nasti's hiss. Her eyes carefully examined the length of Rey's body, ensuring there was nothing that posed an immediate threat. it seemed he was serious about not wanting to fight, but even more serious about his question regarding daemon severing.

    She hesitantly accepted Rey's hand, wincing as she used her other hand to push herself up. As soon as she was on her feet, she pulled her hand back to herself, using it to pat Nasti, somewhat soothing his nerves. His eyes stayed laser focused on Reymond, weary of the man, though he seemed overall civil.

    "Right." she said, brushing herself off and trying to recover from the pain and embarrassment of the moments before. "The whole reason we ever planned to come by your dumb little 'middle of nowhere' settlement was to talk to Fredrick Thessle about hunting someone down. Me and Ms.Montgomery over there..." she paused, realizing the state Margo was in. She was still rubbing her stinging eyes from the skunk spray. Dare shrugged, feeling she deserved it after what she did to James. "Anyways..." she said as she turned her attention back to Reymond, lowering her voice a bit as not to earn Margo's attention.
    "We had some priceless items stollen. I had an heirloom watch necklace taken, and Margo had her journal of research taken. Both were nabbed at the same party. Her notes had some details of daemon bond severing rituals, but you'd have to ask her about all that bizarre nonsense. The only reason I personally am interested in that book, is to stop those experiments from coming to fruition."

 
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  • Reymond had hardened his expressions to convey minimum unease. It did seem like Dare’s account was completely veracious; she too had seemed to have fallen victim to this villainous force. Like an overboiling saucepan of water, his mind only brimmed with questions. He turned his direction onto the woman who had breathlessly returned to decency. The crazy theorist seemed to be scrambling her way over to Eva who was knelt on the floor with Pippin and the meek monkey.

    Azra was listening, bristling with discontent as she had turned her focus onto Dare’s formidable dæmon.
    “I never asked you your name,” she lowered her head dutifully on track with her soulmate’s civilisation, “it is only in my best interest. I’m Azra, the ‘glorified rodent’ and up there is doctor Reymond Turner. It seems, after all that tension and nonsense we are on the same side…” Azra was trying to make light of the situation, hearing a bang from up stairs. “The ‘mechanic’,” she winced as the boat creaked. Blaine had probably tried to fix it but only made it worse. She continued her list of introductions "that threatened you earlier is Blaine Wyres and his dæmon Bebe. Over there is Eva Wilde and you’ve probably noticed Pippin…” she grinned, her features quite ugly as her snout wrinkled with a smile. “We did not know they were on board. They are quite brave to come back on board, but…” the lightheartedness though it seemed to instantly drop as she saw the wild woman reach over to Eva
 


  • Nasti stared for a moment, glancing up at Dr.Turner as Azra introduced herself, and then him. With a deep breath, Nasti decided to lay down, putting himself on a similar level with Azra, doing so as subtle sign of peace and respect. "I'm Nasti." The tiger answered in a much softer tone, now that all threats were sorted out. "And my partner is Dare Doxly, as you may know. She may not remember, but we have met Blaine and Bebe before, if only briefly. Fredrick, Blaine's cousin, is one of Dare's close associates. Blaine came along for a business venture once, about two years ago. Sweet and creative fellow, but not very well spoken...or street smart..." Nasti looked up as a 'thunk' and a 'splash' sounded off above. "You don't think he fell overboard...do you? No... how could he have managed that?"

    The scene before her raised a bit of concern. She was glad two sisters could reunite, but from what Margo had said back on the airship, she was worried this might turn for the worse. Though Dare had brushed off her incessant rambling of old family troubles, she still listened long enough to know the two hadn't gotten along in years. She had no clue why, but considering one of the two sisters currently had Dare's pistol, it may be best for either her or Rey to intervene.

    "I'd like to draw attention to the fact that Ms.Eva... I believe her name is... has a gun next to her. It may be a good idea to remove this, as I understand the two of them are not on speaking terms," she said in a hushed tone to Reymond, pointing to the pistol.

 

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