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ᴅᴀʀᴋ ᴍᴀᴛᴇʀɪᴀʟꜱ, ᴅᴀʀᴋᴇʀ ᴍɪɴᴅꜱ - HuffyLee HuffyLee
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Margo
+ James
Remnants of bile simmered in the back of her throat, each breath causing the walls of her neck to be raked raw. The uncomfortable itching was dampened slightly with a sip of metallic and bitter red wine, offered by one of the meek, quick to obey, maids of Jordan College’s catering sector. The vile taste was masked by the heady scent of aftershave, melting wax and ripe leather. The lack of women was apparent in the congregation. All the higher ranking scholars were confined to one room, celebrating some success that granted them funding for one of their newest, prestigious projects. The grizzled faces of ancient men and their equally old dæmons acquainted the most false smiles and gestures from Margo who had little sleep.

James’ uneasiness did not aid the situation, the dæmon paced up and around her legs, beside her he hastily brushed occasionally against her dress with his coiled, prehensile tail. He was outwardly conveying his counterpart’s impatience and it irked her. Her face was tightlipped and taunt with tire hanging lowly under her eyes. Despite the beautiful auburn curls set upon her head there was something slightly worn about her; youth seemed to be drained from her complexion. She set her blank gaze down toward James, the monkey-dæmon idly soothed himself by cooing softly but immediately halted when she locked onto him. His brow furrowed in confusion when Margo subtly beckoned him to rest on her shoulder. He did not know if this was a genuine comfort or if he was ignorant but relished in her soft touch that met him once he clambered onto her back.

It looked better when you were closer to your dæmon.

When she appeased James, she could swear that at first, he electrified her body with some peculiar polarity. It had been so long since she pressed the warmth of his fur with her bare hand and it was pleasant. Dare make this a habit. She warned herself while quickly glancing down her eyes down on her dæmon who had his head buried into her hair. James was pathetic but with this primal reaction to touch was a pinnacle point her research was studying, much to his obliviousness.

Margo knew she had little funding too seriously experiment with her theories and this expedition to the North was probably the last major project the Magisterium would allow the college in a while. She would just have to be patient. For now, she would just sip her wine and enjoy the canopies of food. The flavours were reminiscent of when she was a child and attended her parents’ high society social meetings. She’d play maid to all the snooty ladies and gentlemen, some of whom probably attended this very room today… Margo tried not to remember James who would trot by her side as an obedient Pomeranian, collecting dropped handkerchiefs and cutlery for the drunken guests.

A sudden, second wave of sickness overthrew her balance this time and she found herself subconsciously clenching James’ head into her hair. A cry of shock escaped his throat and his long arms flailed, peeling her grip from his head in panic. The darkness that crept her vision was like blotched ink and tears of breathlessness wept from both of their faces and the closest, seated scholars turned their attention to the scene. It felt like thousands of red hot needles pricked her at the same time all over her body.
“What are you looking at?” She demanded lowly, directing her unwarranted fury at James, who was hunched on the floor shaking next to her.
“Nothing.” Her dæmon’s face was completely deadpan. He got up, brushed his fur quickly and began to walk away, not inclining for Margo to follow but she had to. He made it a few metres before slowing his pace, allowing Margo to scramble up from her awkward kneeling position. She excused herself abruptly from the prying eyes of the scholars and guests and stubbornly followed James.
*
“This ‘research’ is making us sick. Don’t you realise that?” James had stood himself sat upon the basin of the bathroom countertop, to be at eye level with her. His amber, emotive eyes bore into her grey crescents, there was a great pain that throbbed in her chest but she dare let James see that.
“It is just because we are reaching something, for once in our lives… Don’t you see it?” She was met by silence, warranting her to continue her onslaught onto him. “If we could find a way to do it, we could both be independent! You don’t need me and I wouldn’t need you. The vulnerability would be gone…” The rest of her manic ramblings were left unlistened to because James’ head filled with fleeting images of disgust; could she really want to split? It was all theoretical philosophy! No way would she dare… She couldn’t let him go. James slammed his head against the cool, tiled wall in defiance, such pain caused Margo to hold her head in agony.
“Don’t you see?” He wailed, rubbing his head with one hand, “We are the same person.”
 
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Dare Doxly
and Nasti the tiger

She glanced at the sparkle of champagne in her glass as the old, worn-out man rambled on about some "important" effort to save the freedom of the university. At this point, she knew these people would say anything to get a sample of her coin. That's all these geezers ever wanted from anyone, money and compliance. Dare was wiser than their schemes, having been taught by her father at a young age how to manage such situations and reverse them in her best interest. A few nods here, a faux smile, a shift in her hips; anything to get these people wrapped around her finger.

The conversations often quickly became dull for Dare, as she didn't see the point in many of the studies this college conducted. Who cares why daemons are here? All she needed to know was how to utilize them for deals and connections. She was a businesswoman, after all, less interested in the educational benefits of the college and more intrigued by the money that was put into it.

"And so, Ms.Dare, your contributions could be the catalyst that begins the scientific revolution!" The man said in an attempt at enthusiasm.

She was convinced these people hadn't had fun since they were twelve, and it really showed in the way they spoke. She swirled her glass, took a small sip for the nerves, and smiled up at the man.
"Dr.Hartman, I'm honored to be included in your ventures. You know the progression of science meant everything to my father, just as it does to me. Whatever I can do to help, consider it done. I'll have my assistant reach out to you with details about the resources I can provide."

He seemed satisfied with her answer, finally willing to step aside and allow Dare to excuse herself to another conversation.
"Finally... what a bore," she said to the tiger beside her, who was just now standing up from his spot on the floor.
"And yet you still entertain the old man's ramblings," the tiger commented, clearly irritated with Dare's refusal to move to a younger audience. Dare tapped her foot one hard time, effectively silencing the tiger beside her.
"Not here Nasti. You can chew me out all you want in private, but I won't have you ruining my reputation at a party with people of status."
The two stood side by side for a moment, both surveying the room, though they each searched for very different people. Dare, agitated with the events of the night thus far, adjusted her dress, and picked up a new glass of champagne from the tray of a passing waiter, placing her used cup on that same tray. She took a much too large gulp of the new drink, hoping to soothe her own anger and boredom. Nasti sat beside her, looking up at her for a brief moment before nudging her with his big head.
"What now? You're going to get fuzz on my outfit." dare asked, clearly frustrated.
"I see someone. Come with me," said Nasti as his large paws started off towards the bathrooms.
"The bathroom? Seriously? This better be worth it Nasti or I swear."

The two trotted off until they came across a young scholar hovered over the bathroom sink, roughly Dare's age. She seemed irritated with something, and that's when Dare noticed her little daemon. The two seemed to be fighting.
"We should come by later," Dare said, only to have Nasti push her forward from behind.
"Ohhh you're asking for it tiger," she muttered, feigning a smile as they got closer to the irritated scholar. Upon recognizing the girl as Margo Montgomery, Dare swatted at her Daemon, having him walk beside her as they approached the somewhat familiar person.

"Good evening!" dare greeting with a polite bow. "You must be Margo Montgomery, no? I Hope I'm not... Interrupting anything," She asked smoothly, offering her hand for a shake. "My name is Dare Doxly, Heiress of the Doxly fortune as well as Ambassador and Chairwoman of The Boleyn Beast Union. We've been interested in your studies as of late. May I say, personally am wildly impressed with your progress and potential. Would you dare entertain me with details of your work? I'd be thrilled to hear it from you personally, rather than from my colleagues."

Her Tiger, Nasti, hadn't bothered to introduce itself and instead stared intently at the Scholar and her Daemon. He sat down on the floor beside Dare, swinging his tail from side to side as she stared up. "Perhaps this conversation is best had in the ball room. Join us?" The beast said in a low tone, that seemed more like a demand than request.
 
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Margo
+James

James sensed the tiger dæmon before Margo and immediately leapt up to return to his place on her shoulder with a breath of composure, Margo squinted her eyes as her face stretched into a smile. The pair seemed oddly reserved for two who had just been arguing, as if this was a common practice.
“Hello, how lovely to meet you Ms. Dare. I seem to need no more introduction…” She returned the gesture of good will however it would probably have been more polite to decline considering her hand was clammy with sweat. She also did not mention anything to do with Dare’s interruption and instead, Margo studied the unfamiliar woman. There was a slight inclination of distrust before expressing true alarm when mentioned her field of work. James squeezed her neck tightly before hopping elegantly off onto the floor to greet Dare’s dæmon. James did as he usually did when meeting strangers, bow with respect. He usually guided other peoples dæmon’s away from the earline of Margo’s work, so as to not offend but the heavy bodied tiger seemed like he would want to be close to his counterpart. It was not worth the risk. “I do believe that would be a more suited area to discuss such business, thank you for the offer I shall certainly join you.” The ‘I’ in that sentence really cut James deep.

This courtesy was quite unbelievable for Margo who was usually blacklisted due to her age, gender and written inexperience. Though Dare was closer to her age she seemed to have an incredible presence compared to most of the old men around them. She could not help feeling strangely comforted, she glanced down at James for approval however he was conversing with the tiger dæmon, his face blocked from view. She pursed her lips and turned back to Dare as they entered back into the ballroom.
“My field of work has been dubbed as controversial by many traditionalists,” She clasped her hands across her body suddenly feeling quite vulnerable under the younger woman’s intense gaze and how close James was to Dare’s dæmon. “Would you like to see some diagrams? It’ll probably be much easier if I could just explain whilst we go along…” Margo drew her hand into her coat pocket, only to find nothing. “Shit. If you’ll excuse me, I seem to have misplaced my notebook.” Her accidental cursing only got her more flustered, a small bead of sweat became absorbed by her ginger hair and she suddenly felt sick again.

As soon as James sensed the distress of Margo, he also excused himself from Nasti’s conversation and reached to hold her hand with one of his long arms. He began cooing again, Margo was not one to openly abuse her dæmon, but she could not help but bat his hand away. “Dare. First impressions are the last impressions, I know. But this is really not the best time to discuss business. How about we just enjoy the lovely wine and grab something to eat? Save formalities for later, I think I am already a little tipsy” Margo finished the sentence with a pretentious giggle.
 
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Dare Doxly
and Nasti

Nasti's attention shifted solely on the little daemon approaching him. He let out a small, rumbled growl, warning James to stay back, uninterested in being touched by another daemon he didn't quite yet know. He didn't entertain conversation at all and instead continued to stare, trained to be quiet for the most part during business interactions. In his time with Dare, he had learned what kind of deamons to be weary of. The top of his 'danger' list was snakes and monkeys, both having a keen eye for trickery in some sense. He knew to keep an eye on people's daemon counterparts, though this particular monkey seemed alright.

Dare gracefully took Margo's hand, giving it a soft and subtle shake. After feeling the sweat of Margo's palm, she did her best to disguise a disgusted look, but made no attempt to hide her hand as she wiped it off on the pants of her outfit. It took her a brief moment to recover from the gross feeling, but in an instant her cool character was back, refreshing her expression back to the soft smile it started as.
For once this evening, she was becoming genuinely interested in the conversation. "You'll find that those of us in power at Boleyn Beats thrive on controversy. There's more to know of things untouched than of things already found." She said softly, filling the silence as Margo reached for her notes. Her interest was suddenly shaken as Margo became slightly frantic. The more Margo spoke, the angrier Dare became. She was furious that Margo seemed to be brushing her off. Feeling dare's growing rage, Nasti let out a huff, quietly reminding Dare to stay composed in public settings.

"You seem to be mistaken about the purpose of this party, and I think I see why you lack support," Dare began, taking a heavy step forward. "You are a disorganized mess and have no social intelligence whatsoever, which is shocking considering your Daemon. If you had a clue in the world, you'd know you're in no position to brush me off." Her voice, rather than raising, grew lower and more intensely punctuated. She stopped for a moment to catch her breath and consider her options on handling the current dilemma.

"Margo," She said with a slightly more collected tone, now feeling as though she had an idea on how to give this conversation a second chance. "Perhaps you don't realize it, but this very conversation could not only increase the resources available to you, but could be the gateway into the upper ranks of the scientific community. I like you, so lets give this another go," She said as she reached towards her own neck, hoping to grab something that didn't seem to be there. "What." She said in a brief moment of disbelief, patting across her chest in hopes of finding her prized sautoir watch.
"You may not be the only one missing something, only there's no way I misplaced it," She muttered
"I watched you put it on before we left," Nasti added, suddenly much more alert as he sniffed around for the missing accessory.
 
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Margo
+James

She knew it was a mistake to procrastinate and to lie that she was drunk was certainly insulting. The onslaught of passive aggression was hurtful however true it was. Her sociality was not a redeeming value but she should have been more intelligent. To seriously think she could fool Ms Doxly, a woman of such distinguished value? She wanted to slap James harder than he hurt her earlier, the way he kept toying at her with those bright eyes like she was some child. It was something he did to make her feel worse than she already did about herself. She ignored the rest of Dare’s rage with a rampart of panic. Margo could not afford to lose the work in that book. Despite most of the transcript being indistinguishable to the average reader, anybody could decipher the diagram of human and dæmon splitting. It was not similar to the work of that Coulter woman who died almost seventy years ago now. To resurface such diabolical and ostracised archives would be a crime in itself!

But how? It was in the inside pocket of her dress’ blazer where no man, woman or dæmon could fit themselves into without notice…

The suppressed anxiety radiated off her like a cheap perfume and what a fool she was! The small primate scratched his head in an attempt to seem oblivious and like he was not eavesdropping. Good riddance to that so-called book!

James climbed up the back of her dress and sat close to her neck, using one hand to pat her static hair down. He presented that he paid careful attention to make sure she kept her style. Margo had been silent for most of Dare’s onslaught; her mind racing elsewhere to care for taunt. James looked down at Nasti with an obvious frown. As much as James disliked Margo, he did not like the notion of uneasiness when she was upset. Margo ignored the offer to continue the conversation about work. His tail wrapped round Margo’s neck like a noose ready to be dropped.
“We really appreciate the compassion you have shown.” James smiled until he realised that something else was wrong. “What have you lost? May I ask, is it of high value?” He balanced onto Margo’s shoulder and tilted his head, his human-like eyes dilating as they locked onto Dare's own.
 
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Dare Doxly
and Nasti

"My necklace... it had a little watch attached to the end." she stood for a moment, surveying the room with an odd calmness that didn't quite seem to suite the situation. After a moment of tense silence, she began to speak again in a low whisper. "Nasti," she commanded, speaking as though in a growling tone. The Tiger perked up, following an invisible trail he had seemed to pick up. "There!" Nasti exclaimed, his nose darting towards a door that had just began to close. "Damnit..." Dare mumbled, knowing it to be too late to chase whoever had fled.

A small page was left just in front of the door, clearly dropped by the thief. Dare pointed towards the fallen page, silently sending Nasti to fetch it. The tiger stalked forward, snarling as he moved, forcing those in his way to step aside. His claws clicked against the cold tile, a warning to all. He carefully clutched the page between his teeth, attempting not to tear it. He brought it to Dare, who plucked it from his teeth with a strangely intimidating tenderness.

"This is yours," Dare stated, not bothering to look at the little paper too long. She handed it to Margo before turning towards the windows nearby. Surely, not soon after, a small ballon took off from the docks with the culprit clearly inside. "I know him, and I'm pretty sure I know where he's going. If I'm right, and I'm always right, then we have no time to waste. I don't know what you've done or what you're doing, but they certainly do." Her watch was missing, and so was the notebook. By no means could this have been a coincidence. Dare's mind raced with the possibilities implied by the theft. Clearly it was no petty act, but rather, a meticulously planned plot. She knew more than she liked to admit, but not quite enough to be sure of what all was going on. Why the notebook? Why the watch?

She tapped her foot impatiently for a moment before placing her hands on her hips and letting out an angry sigh.
"Youre coming with me, Ms. Montgomery; but first, I have two questions. One, what was in that notebook, and two, what size are you? " It was clear by the testy tone in her voice that she wasn't issuing options, only orders. Nasti slowly circled Margo and James, leaving far less options for resistance. The tiger closed in, pushing the two to follow Dare into a more private area. "Walk," He hissed
 
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Margo
+James

Margo took an insatiable intake of air as the tiger-dæmon directed to the page that was found.
“Yes, that is mine, thank you” She doubted flattery would amend the situation, she uncrumpled the paper with a discerning wince. The surprise merged into relief as it was only the first directory page but the sense of contentment did not last for long. It seemed the culprit had torn it out deliberately due to the neatness of the tear mark; almost as if it was cut out. This particular journal was not old and however worn it was, the seam was an expensive hardback. It read her full name as well as her home address, for where to deliver if lost. The pickpocket obviously knew who she was. Dread filled Margo as James pulled at her hair, her face was of illness “We should walk and talk.”

Despite finding Nasti an amiable character, James’ heart could not refrain from missing a beat the tiger snarled under his breath. It was comprehensible that he could kill them both in seconds. Situating himself on the vantage point of Margo’s shoulder did not comfort him like it usually did. In fact, he felt more uncomfortable the closer he was to her.
“I do apologise about Margo, earlier,” he mentioned, leaping elegantly down toward where Nasti was walking on the ground, expecting an apologetic conversation would soothe the soreness. He kept his tone low, focusing the sound of his voice so the tiger could just about hear. “That notebook has some serious… Things… inside of it. The wrong hands could lead to disastrous possibilities; for all of us.” Are anybody’s hands the correct bearers for the information? James began to have his doubts.

Margo continued to explain her work as briefly as possible as the pair sauntered to somewhere much more private. It was difficult to make it sound as little barbaric as it was for the potential investor:
“I must declare my work consists only of theoretical concepts. Cutting to the chase, it is wholly a study on dæmon relationship and purpose. Why are we tied to something that makes us so vulnerable?” She made a quick beeline to where Nasti was prowling before whispering. “It’s easier for yourself, considering your dæmon has formed themselves as a tiger but for me, a pathetic little squirrel-monkey is hardly something to thank the gods about… Anyway, my point is. I dug out some old archives about Dust particles and the energy that is emitted from the dæmon when they settle and also when they die. Where do dæmon’s go when they die? Why are we left to rot?” Margo took her voice to a more serious pitch, “I’m not here to perform surgeries like what was mentioned in those papers but if I could somehow sever my dæmon without causing physical agony first, then how do you think we would be better off?

I also must confess a bias here; me and James aren’t particularly relatable. You're an incredibly intelligent woman and I guess it is plain to see, really…” Margo did not realise how much it hurt her to say it aloud, to somebody who was not the notebook. It was as if she was peeling a wound open again but she kept a stiff lip. “This notebook has most of my research inside of it. The reason I did not make copies is because it’s too valuable to replicate…” Enough pity and self importance, cut to the chase. “I like my clothing oversized, so please anything that’ll fit you will likely be to small…”
 
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Dare Doxly
and Nasti

The tiger bowed back, surprised at James' willingness to approach despite the obvious threat being posed. He let out a chuff, continuing to walk after Dare, allowing James to walk where he pleased, but staying directly behind Margo. He glanced to James, no longer maintaining his intense stare and instead taking a moment to observe the little Daemon. A flurry of fleeting shifts on the monkey's face conveyed a myriad of emotions, but Nasti had a hunch of what it all might have meant.

"You don't like what's in there, do you?" Nasti said, matching the money's hushed tone. His question seemed more like an understanding statement than a reach of curiosity.

Dare had gracefully strolled towards a more private exit, deciding it safer to leave from one of several discreet staff exits. She took out a notepad from her shirt pocket and scribbled some brief instructions. She paused to read over her work before folding it in half and handing it to the guard posted at the serf's door. The uniformed man held the door open, nodding to the two ladies as Dare lead the way out.

She listened intently to Margo's explanation of what was in the notebook. Dare's steps became much slower as the scientist delved deeper into her summary of research. Eventually she came to a full stop, her heals no longer clacking against the damp stones of the walkway, wet from a recent rain.

She stared forward, her expression falling from her regular confident smirk to something unreadable. A talented socialite may recognize a sliver of fear here, worry there. Her eyes seemed to have glazed over as her thoughts spiraled, picturing the horrible things that might occur if anyone attempted the procedures potentially detailed in that stupid little notepad.

Her hand came up to her lip as she became dazed. She picked at her red-painted lips, trying to formulate a plan on what to do next, now knowing the probable severity of the issue. Her hand trembled ever so slightly as she lowered it back down to her side.

Nasti's attention turned to her. He didn't approach her as he felt he should, but rather remained behind Margo to ensure she didn't attempt to leave. His head lowered slightly, and his ears perched forward, attuned to the worry in his person's heart. He decided to speak up, giving dare Dare a moment before he began.
"You will be joining us for the night," Nasti said in a louder tone, hoping to help realign Dare's mental presence.

"Right," she said sharply, beginning to walk again. She decided the best response was none at all, avoiding the subject of science for the time being. "Luckily I splurged for this trip. Theres plenty of room for you to stay with me and Nasti. I'll have my assistant organize a little wardrobe for you and James, if he would like accessories. We will be leaving first thing tomorrow to a little settlement called Fallsburn. Even if the culprit isn't there, I have a few ideas on who can help us track him."

Her ramblings halted yet again as she turned to make direct eye contact with Margo. Her voice was low and booming as she spoke. saying "before you object, ask yourself if you really think I'd let you out of my sight after what you said is in that book. You're involved. You must face the music, especially if you're part of the band." She stood still for a moment, looking Margot up and down before leading the way once more down a dark pathway, headed towards the Bustier Hotel.
 
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Margo
+James
James kept silent to Nasti’s comment, shaking his head discerningly as an only response. After a few seconds of silence, the monkey used his elongated index finger to silent his mouth before continuing on as if he never said a word.

Dare’s entire presence urged her to remain compliant, she simply nodded with submission- to provoke an argument would cause for dire consequence. Margo mistrusted the woman and certainly the strength of her dæmon, who’s eyes seared onto her back like hot iron brands. However she could not help but know that Dare posed no true or physical threat, the woman was similar to her bastard half-sister; headstrong, quick to temper and undoubtedly theatrical… The way she spoke made her liable for predisposed nostalgia, the intense wave was nauseating and once again she felt sickened. James did not even bother to comfort her this time, thoughts of Eva hurt him enough to even attempt to aid Margo.

*​
Eva Montgomery, a gorgeous young lady born out of wedlock; her father’s broken promise destroyed the Montgomery family’s heritage and pride. An affair that sent the families marriage into a spiralling dispute of legal action and bitter disagreements. It did not aid the situation with Eva's mother being of gyptian and wiccan heritage. The rumour had it that the gyptian woman had seduced Tomas Montgomery with magic and fed him a potion of lust in hope of capturing his wealth. The half-witch held a much more twisted account of forced copulation that granted her a child. In truth, Eva’s mother was just a frightened girl preyed upon by a predator despite not being wealthy or of any particular status, she had no reason to take advantage of someone so well-known. Authorities were alerted, once Tomas knew she was pregnant and that was where his deception began to plague the headlines. It was recalled to be the best moment of her life- when six-year old Margo found out she had a little baby sister! Finally somebody to share her toys with and tell stories to as well as play with… So when the high court permitted Eva to stay in custody of her mother and the gyptians, did Margo and James find themselves giddy with disappointment.

It was not until Margo’s early adulthood did she decide to reach out to her sister. With Eva’s dæmon just settled into his forever form and Tomas Montgomery deceased, Margo thought she’d appreciate some congratulation. It was all a scene of self worth, however did she really seek comfort for herself after their father’s death. This was the first instance of foolishness. Upon the first telegram sent, Margo was met with a plethora of wrath from a receiver who was not even her sister. The message was read with written with conviction; telling her to ‘stay away’ and ‘never attempt to contact Eva again’.

*​
The petrichor was humid, Margo opened her lungs to breathe the dampened air.
“I’ve heard of Fallsburn… My sister… Resides there, I believe. The gyptian community’s stronghold… I really appreciate this but I don’t believe it would be fitting for me to attend–” her words caught her on her tongue as the eyeline was made directly to her. As much as she kept her eyes averted from Dare’s, she knew Dare was definitely not doing this to aid her in the slightest. Despite not appearing in tune with other people, Margo held perfect scrutiny when observing strangers. When the artefact was known to have disappeared from her neck, the dread that seemed to envelop her was apparent.
*​
The Bustier Hotel’s exterior was as grand and decadent as Jordan College. The architecture was astonishingly ornate, the building hauntingly gothic in the dwindling light and before entering you were required to flash an identification card. This was not a place for average income. Despite the warm, welcoming light that emitted from the reception’s glittering chandelier, did Margo feel out of place. This notion only accentuated the grandeur and exclusivity of Bustier. The floor was a slick white marble (or was it granite?) and the complex was divided into reception, tea rooms and a sectioned off waiting area. Chaperones rolled suitcases across their path however excused themselves busily; they worked with complete unity. Regardless of her family’s wealth, Margo had not stayed anywhere so extravagant.

Upon reaching the main check-in desk they were greeted by a short man and his yellow labrador dæmon who wagged her tail proudly. He was clicking his fingers on a typewriter, and took little notice of Margo and even Dare. The labrador dæmon nudged his leg and he jumped with surprise.
“Oh Ms. Doxly, I do apologise,” his voice was snooty however lathered in genuine concern, “Do follow me and Matilda to your rooms. I made for a suite that is split into two rooms and it's own private enterance…” As if he was expecting them the minute, he graciously picked up a room key and waddled out behind the desk to pass it to Dare in person. Matilda, the dog dæmon did not utter a word to James but greeted Nasti with a bow. It was true she wore her golden coat too proudly to even acknowledge the little monkey James. He felt a little offended.
 
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Dare Doxly
and Nasti

She took a slow, deep breath before waltzing into the esteemed hotel. The building was embellished with nothing but the best; a perfect representation of the life Dare had led so far. Regardless of what many may think, she did her fair share of work to earn it. Though she can't deny the obvious fact that she is a child of nepotism, she was not allowed to share in her father's vast fortune until she had trained to take the reins. She had learned how to command a room, negotiate, bribe... threaten.

As soon as her Daemon settled (as a ferocious tiger, no less) she began to attend all of his banquets, benefits, balls, meetings, and any other business related gathering he could possibly think to drag her off to, all for the sake of ensuring she was a fitting heiress. He did anything he could to stop Dare from becoming her mother; a vain woman who took every aspect of her life for granted. In some sense, he succeeded, but his early death left her with many questions and even more insecurities. With little support from her mother, who may have had a hand in his untimely demise, Dare began to navigate the world of aristocrats alone, determined to be worthy of Adelmar Doxly's legacy.

***

As she passed through the doors of the Bustier Hotel, the security began to step closer, not to collect her identification, but that of her guest. Just as the tower of a guard began to open his mouth, she made a sharp turn to cut him off. "Oh, this is my friend, Ms.Montgomery. I'm sure you've heard of her groundbreaking research in Daemon origins," she said smoothly, taking on a tone that made it seem more as if she was speaking to an old friend than a security guard; a recently hired one, at that. Perhaps she did glorify Margo's studies a bit, and it seemed to leave the hotel staff a bit embarrassed for not recognizing Margo, as they now felt they should.

Her confident aura radiated across the room like heat waves. Anything in Dare's path was quickly cleared away as she strutted towards the reception desk. "Thank you, Baxter, you never disappoint."

Nasti stalked after Dare, still staying slightly behind Margo, a bit more relaxed considering Dare has other allies nearby, such as the hotel staff. His keen eyes focused on the little gold dog as she approached. He seemed fairly disinterested in her presence, at least until he noticed Matilda intentionally neglect to acknowledge James. A disappointed puff escaped him as he pressed closer towards the people ahead. "Its a shame the staff is so ill mannered here, as not to greet each of their guests. You'd think that a dog daemon of all creatures could be trained out of such bad behaviors," Nasti tisk'd, just loud enough for a few onlookers nearby to hear. "She forgets her place," he said in a more hushed tone, leaning lower to whisper to James.

The air grew thick with sudden tension as both Baxter and Matilda held their breaths. Dare slowly turned to the attendant, wearing a slightly more menacing expression than her previous smile. She allowed the tension to hang, both the man and dog seeming to await her response.
"Perhaps you do disappoint after all...," she started, finally breaking the heavy silence. "You know, I saw Mr.Bustier at the party today. He was asking me about the service here, as I am one of his more regular patrons."

That was all she said, but Baxter thoroughly understood, glaring at the dog who had made her way beside him. "My apologies, Ms.Dare, and Ms.Montgomery. We've been quite overwhelmed with the guests flooding in from the party. I-... What can we do to make this stay more enjoyable? Consider any accommodations on the house, a favor for our favorite client."

"I'm glad you asked!" dare said in a much more appeased voice, once again making a quick shift back into her charming facade. She began to walk again, beckoning Baxter and the others to follow her towards the massive golden elevator. "It would mean the world if you could have a few extra towels, an additional pair of bath slippers, and a spare bath robe all brought to our room. I'll contact room service in the morning about breakfast, and if it's no trouble, we may need our food a bit earlier than the kitchen plans to open; Ms.Montgomery and I have early travel plans."

As she boarded the elevator alongside the rest of the group, she tapped her finger on her chin... "Oh yes!" she added, "I'll be having my assistant bring me some papers and a large array of luggage. I hope she won't have any trouble getting in. Lastly, you'd be doing me the a great service if you could post someone outside our suite tonight. A little safety precaution, on my part." With that, her long list of instructions was complete, and Baxter could only sit there and sweat, nodding in agreement to each of her demands.

Upon offloading from the elevator and finally reaching the room, Dare dismissed Baxter with a quick wave of her hand. She stepped into the luxury suite, holding the door for Margo and ushering her in. Once in private, her face fell, revealing her true feelings of irritation and exhaustion. She began to speak quite quickly, a stark contrast to the typical smooth and punctuated tone she maintained.
"I'd love to entertain conversation... no wait, no I wouldn't. You have a room of your own to the right. It has a bathroom and all that. Don't knock on my door. Don't speak to me. If you're up before me, don't wake me up. My assistant will be here with clothes in an hour. She will hand you your bag, but don't speak to her, nor to the guard outside. Some attendant will be here with towels for you shortly..." Once Nasti was fully in their shared room, she slammed her door shut, and a quiet click sounded, signaling her door had been locked.
 
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Margo
+James

By the time Margo had managed to comprehend what Dare had just said, the woman had already secluded herself into her own quarters. Wrinkles formed on her nose and brow as she screwed her face up with disorientation. She had never met anybody to hold such aggressive disposition as Ms. Dare Doxly.

Margo levelled her bearings and made her way to her own suite, catching sight of the enticing bed and ultimately threw herself onto the satin cover, fully clothed. James clambered up onto the board, kneeling beside her facedown and seemingly lifeless body.
“Do you think we should trust them?” he whispered, his gaze focused intently on the door. His full amber eyes blinked with question.
“Couldn’t care less. Now, shut up and go to sleep.” Margo spat, kicking her shoes off behind her, the impact of them hitting the cool floor echoed throughout the large room.

James could not sleep but it felt perversely peaceful to not have Margo’s aura eating away at his nerves. His counterpart, who lay in the same awkward position she was in when she first hit the mattress, was proving extremely difficult recently. The squirrel monkey slipped down from the high bed and, on all fours, padded closer to the windowsill. With ease, he leapt up onto the ledge and peered down out into the darkness, onto the now dead streets of Oxford. Small, shallow breaths crept condensation on the pane of glass and he pressed a hand to the window solemnly. He tried to keep his thoughts quiet, so as to not wake Margo but his head kept spinning with intrusive thoughts. What would happen if he ran away? James ran a hand through the thin fur on his neck. He knew a lone dæmon would not get far on his own and if he was caught? Imagine the outcry! After all his head still hurt from where he hit it earlier in the bathroom, too much so for all this existential nonsense. And he also needed to find that cursed notebook… The responsibility was overwhelming, so his little cooing sounds softly brought himself asleep, head leaning on the window, as far away from Margo as possible.
*
​
The pounding on the door was an unexpected way to be woken up, such a prestigious hotel you’d expect there to be a less intrusive way. Such an intrusive sound resonated through her head she could have sworn she heard it after it had stopped. The first thing she saw was James pacing up and down in front of the door entrance,
“Sounds pretty urgent, yes?” He chuckled, returning to his place beside Margo before she got up. Her hair was matted in such tight auburn curls and her back hurt from being restrained in the tight dress. She ignored James and headed to the door, opening it meticulously.

She was greeted, quite unexpectedly, with a serving gentleman who brought with him an abundance of continental foods of variety of origin.
“Thank you, Sir…” Margo rubbed her eyes, “I shall keep this here until my acquaintance has woken-”
“Oh, Madame, she is awake though she seems to be occupied in the washroom.” His chicken dæmon gargled, her eyes seemingly pointing in two different directions. The unknown man made an appropriate and courteous smile and finished his dæmon’s point,
“Ms Doxly made it clear that if she was occupied, then the breakfast would be transferred to your quarters.” With that, he wheeled the trolley of food into the room and abruptly turned to leave.

Margo scooped up the rind of a grapefruit and sucked the sour flesh before discarding the rind.
“This is very refreshing… Don’t you find it weird that dæmon’s don’t need sustenance?” She turned to James, who was not listening. Instead he had clambered into the tray, examining something with close inspection. “What is it, James? I know you didn’t sleep with me last night. I do… I do apologise for my harshness but you know the nature of the situation...” The monkey was not looking at her and unexpectedly signalled a hand for her to stop talking.
“Look,” He had gently unfolded a piece of paper to examine, the words seemed to be jumbled in some sort of code, too much for the average reader to decipher, “I think we’ve got ourselves into something, Margo. Something bigger than your research and much more complicated than a petty burglary.”
 
Dare Doxly
and Nasti

The shower in Dane's room had turned off just as the meal was brought in. She took her sweet time dolling herself up, even though their only substantial plans were to travel today. After about half an hour of being tucked away in her room, she emerged, clean and well dressed. She wore high waisted pants, a white blouse, and sturdy leather boots, all still neat and fancy, but clearly unlike her regular wardrobe. Her expression was irritated, though her eyes hid the progress of a thousand plans behind them.

She hadn't even bothered to start with a greeting, and immediately began talking about various topics, all regarding the plans for the day. "Perhaps you heard my heated conversation earlier, but I've organized for an associate of mine to meet us at Fallsburn. If he can't make it, he will send his cousin. Either way, we have help with our little adventure now." Nasti appeared from behind her as she spoke, stretching out into the hall, letting out a small and satisfied roar as he popped a few joints in his back. "Oh," Dare started again, "I'd be in my right mind to make you stay in that dress for the whole trip. Did I not tell you to get the door for my assistant? She called and told me she had to get a spare key and let herself in."

She tossed a notably sized bag towards Margo, not caring if she already had her hands full. Dare seemed quite pleased to notice the large tray of foods just outside Margo's door. She began to help herself to a few of the berries and breads, when she spotted the note, which had clearly already been unfolded. "Shit," Dare mumbled, reading the paper. For a mere moment, her face reverted to the same fearful, dazed off look from last night, when Margo talked about her studies. Nasti nudged his stunned partner, effectively snapping her out of her stupor.

"As much as I'd love to enjoy an easy-going morning, I'll give you exactly five minutes to be ready or the ship leaves without you. If you'd like to be left behind, fine. Just know the people coming after us are much more terrifying than I could ever be. The devastation they have the potential to cause is unimaginable." Dare spoke of someone clearly familiar to her, having a truly fearful look as she described the mystery villains. "They have no morals. No hearts. We must leave. Now." She said in a low tone, attempting to convey the true need for haste in their situation. "Nasti, remind me, did I get a chance to call Clyde?"
"You did," Nasti answered.
"Thank gods...." She looked down to the little note pad in her pocket, opened it, and crossed of a name on what was clearly a "to do" list, "Five minutes," Dare reminded as she pointed a slender finger towards Margo before turning to handle her luggage.

Nasti sat peacefully in dare's doorway, letting out a big, toothy yawn before glancing over at James and offering a polite bow. "Good morning little monkey," He greeted quietly as his partner bustled about, sorting her things and preparing to leave, but never stepping too far from Nasti.
 
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Margo
+James
Five minutes? Margo had no time or coordination to protest so led herself back into her room, leaving the door slightly open so as to not tug the invisible bond she had with James too much. She could have easily walked further from him, however to not raise suspicions, she decided to gesture for him to follow her closer to the ensuite entrance. James did not move however, he was too interested in conversing with that tiger. She overheard him muttering something to Nasti but it was incoherent.
“Good morning Nasti.” James returned the bow with a polite courtesy, he could feel Margo’s impatience bristling, but he continued. “Fallsburn is where our sister resides, she is quite a bit different to Margo hence the obvious dread in her face.” James’s face folded in a monkey grin. He could not wait to see Pippin again, they used to get along well. He wondered what form he took now… “Since Dare only gave us five minutes to get dressed, then I must leave. Talk to you in a few moments.”

The sweet pink grapefruit left a sour tang on her tongue as she quickly brushed her teeth and dried her wet face, composing herself to the best of her ability. She did not bother with make-up however used some lotion to perk her skin and brushed her hair hurriedly, taming the ginger coils up in a bun. The duffle bag held expensive clothes of popular yet exclusive branding. She unfolded the garments that consisted of a breathable, flannel shirt and loose fitting cargo pants that were on the larger side. She changed her shoes for black boots, luckily they fit.

James had his face to the wall while she got dressed, he felt the signal when she was ready and clambered up onto Margo’s shoulder. They had no other belongings apart from the dress which was stuffed back into the bag. She led the way, with his grip tight on her shoulder and tail coiled behind him.

They were scheduled to meet the airship conductor as soon as Margo stepped back out into the air conditioned hallway. Her nervousness was reflecting off on James, who kept rubbing his head repeatedly, a habit that had developed over the time of stress.
“Did you listen to what Dare said? These people are immoral... “ He whispered into the side of her hair, realising what he had said, he had no right to talk to Margo about immorality considering her ideology. The response was an exasperated sigh.
“James, like I said last night, please stop talking. I need to focus on how to get my research back and become a little more friendly with Ms. Doxly…” She looked across to the pair who walked slightly in front of them and rolled her shoulders so James would lose his balance and jump down. He let out a little primate cry as he landed on the floor. He walked slightly ahead to catch up with Nasti and Dare, leaving Margo alone behind him.
 
Dare Doxly
and Nasti

At the door, several men waited patiently to take their luggage. Dare led the charge down the gold and marbled halls, headed to the port between college and the hotel. A woman and her little bee daemon joined the small group as they left the suite. She and Dare were caught up in a flurry of hushed conversations, of which the woman began taking notes. "Yes, Ms.Doxly," she'd keep repeating, in a dull and yet respectful tone. The woman, who one might only assume was Dare's assistant, Sarah, kept up pace with Dare up until the Hotel's main entrance, at which point she hurried off to some unspecified place.

As they had made their way through the halls, and upon recognizing James' presence, Nasti let out a little huff, as if in greeting. "You'll like the ship. The views are always the best part," He said cooly and quietly, hoping not to disturb Dare and Sarah.

Dare didn't miss a beat, continuing onward to the docks. The men they had handed their bags to were already there, loading them aboard the flight readied vessel. The Captain was standing outside the ship's boarding ramp with a nobly perched Amur Falcon on his shoulder. He seemed to be an older man, around maybe fifty-five? Dare greeted him with open arms and a graceful kiss on the cheek.
"Walter, Pearl!" she said in a sweet, sing song way. "It's been far too long since I've had the privilege of flying with you. It's always quite a show."
"Yes," he answered, "And likewise, my ship isn't the same without your glowing presence."

"Walter I'm flattered. I still owe you a meal for the last favor, if I remember rightly."

"No, I won't hear of it. Dinner on me. Have Sarah contact me when you find an opening in your hectic schedule... And your friend?"

"Oh yes, how rude of me not to introduce you both right away! This is Ms.Margo Montgomery, esteemed scientist in association with Oxford, researching Daemon origins. She'd be quite the card to have in your pocket," Dare said. The captain stepped forward to take Margo's hand, giving it a gentle and polite kiss.

"Well, Ms.Montgomery, I am Captain Steinman, but a friend of Dare is a friend to me, so call me Walter. Perhaps you could attend our future dinners? It would be nice to hear about the ventures of the up-and-coming scientists."
Dare looked towards Margo as the Captain introduced himself, giving her a strange glance, as if to tell her "See what I could do for you?"
 
Margo
+James
“I’ve never been a fan of heights, however I do appreciate a good view and will take your word for it.” James stood up tall, examining the airship’s splendour with teary eyes. He did not have a good feeling about this.

Captain Steinman’s presence was all very flattering so much so, Margo could not help but feel breathlessly excited. She took his welcome with great appreciation and smiled with humble intention.
“Well, I will certainly take you up on that offer, Walter.” Dare was correct, despite her monkey-dæmon connoting sociality, Margo remained quite awkward and Dare’s cultivated yet unmannerly gaze cut through her like a hot knife through butter. There was a tightness in her chest, so she anxiously reached for her shoulder, expecting James however he was not there. She remembered how awful she’d been to him earlier but did not feel guilty- there was a very pinnacle point to prove here…

The small monkey took it upon himself to enter aboard the airship first, his long arm holding the railing as he made his way up the steps. He looked behind him to see Margo follow, then Dare and Nasti. Before he got on the ship, he had a quick discussion with Pearl regarding aerodynamics and safety which he sought necessary. He then sat down onto one of the leathered seats, grinning ear to ear.
“Nasti, would you mind sitting next to me? I must admit I am a little nervous.” He was not scared of the ship however, he was frightened about being alone, considering Margo’s lack of care for him. He patted his hand onto the seat, eagerly awaiting for the tiger’s reply.

Meanwhile, Margo undid her flannel shirt, the top button was choking her neck. To see James so independant was amazing and proved that her emotional detachment from him was working. The reason for all this aggression toward her dæmon was subconsciously part of the experimentation. Not that it was even slightly obvious. She took it upon herself to smile curtly at the two dæmons and made her way to her own seat.
“So, what have you got in mind for when we land in Fallsburn?” She suggested for Dare to sit opposite her, but doubted she would. Dare seemed to be a woman who rarely led by other people’s example.
 
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Dare Doxly
and Nasti

"Feel free to move about the ship," Walter said as he made his way to the control booth. "I hope you enjoy the flight, Ladies." Once everyone was boarded and comfortable, the ship slowly began to rise into the sky, beginning the hour-long journey to Fallsburn.

Nasti noticed James on a leather sitting on a leather seat and couldn't help but scoff at the thought of his own massive body attempting to fit into a seat. Because of the ridiculous nature of James' proposal, Nasti took it as an insulting joke and ignored James entirely, going to sit at Dare's feet. He laid his head down, but kept his eyes open, curiously scanning the room to keep himself occupied.

Dare settled into a well cushioned booth seat, just across from Margo. She rubbed her eyes tiredly, careful not to rub away her carefully applied makeup. "Must you already be asking questions?" Dare mumbled under her breath, unenthused by Margo's newly claimed confidence after the interaction with the captain. She sucked in an angry breath and let it back out as a sigh. "I know a guy. Fredrick Thessle. he lives in that little town, or whatever you want to call it. He's exceptionally skilled at tracking and knows a bit about who we are dealing with from first had experience. He will be joining us at Fallsburn, I hope, but it is looking like we will get stuck with his scrawny cousin, Blaine. He is just as good at tracing but doesn't have a fraction of the strength and discipline. We'd have to pick up a second helping hand, and ole Freddy left me with a few suggestions... Reymond... Brutus... some others here too."

Dare pulled out her notepad, scribbling down a few more names, and crossing off another one that appeared to be the Captain's. The note from the breakfast tray peered out from her pad. As soon as it caught her attention, she pulled it out and placed it on the table. "Who opened that?" She asked in a low and shockingly calm tone.
 
Margo
+James
James felt wounded, the way Nasti declined his offer tore at him and he, upon turning around out of view, unexpectedly burst into tears. He tried to muffle the tears that streamed down his face by cupping his cheeks all while using the other hand to massage his temple. He seriously longed for some affection and the loneliness he’d been experiencing was borderline morphing into depression. He did not say a word, instead pressed his head against the window of the airship and wept silently.

Margo had to admit it was not her that opened the letter.
“I didn't even realise there was a letter,” she was not lying. “My dæmon opened something but I assumed it was a receipt. He didn’t show me.” She refrained on calling James by his name, to prove a sort of distance. It gave her little confidence when she mentioned the adjective ‘scrawny’ to describe one of the gyptians she mentioned. The names were not familiar. Margo could not refrain from continuing her onslaught of curiosity. “And yes, I do need to know as my sister is part of the Fallsburn community. I do not believe I will be very welcomed there, despite your great contacts… And contracts…” It was not the time to become hostile but her anxiety was growing.

The airship leapt slightly from turbulence, jolting James awake who found himself nestled in a small ball and freezing. He shivered slightly from the temperature and felt ever so vulnerable so high in the air.
 
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Dane Doxly
and Nasti

Nasti's head raised quite quickly as he heard James begin to cry. The tiger was frozen in place, surprised at the reaction his silence had elicited from the smaller daemon. He sat up and shifted his paws back and forth for a moment, deciding whether or not to try and comfort the little beats somehow, or to leave him be. The guilt ate at him for mistaking the monkey's naivety for rascality. Clearly his hateful human wasn't making an attempt to comfort him, and after noting this, Nasti stood up, walked over to James, propped himself up on a seat to reach him, and grabbed him very gently by the scruff of his neck, dangling him like a cub.

The tenderness the tiger was capable of was quite shocking for his size, but he carried the monkey like he was made of glass. Upon arriving back to his spot on the floor, he plopped James down at his side. The tiger took a brief moment to clean James' fur, a symbol of a silent apology. Now that Nasti's guilt had been amended, he lay down on the floor, still and snug.

Dare glared over at Margo for less than a second, but it was enough for her to decide Margo was lying. She put down her notebook, leaned forward, and raised her eyebrows before saying "We both no damn well you didn't think that was a receipt." She didn't feel the need to say anything else, only staring forward at Margo with her arms angrily crossed.

The ship rattled yet again, but it didn't seem to bother the captain, so dare dismissed it and carried on her conversation with Margo. Dane took a quick peak at her watch as she awaited her guest's reply, noticing they were a solid twenty minutes into their trip.

"I don't care about your personal relations. We aren't going for family reunions. We are going on business." Dare pushed the paper forward and unfolded it. It said "tango-hotel-echo-yankee-foxtrot-zero-uniform-November-delta-uniform-foxtrot-Lima-echo-echo."
"Read it, and tell me what it means. I won't be having incompitent people holding me back. You're a scholar, right? You should be able to solve basic cyphers."
 
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Margo
+James
Margo did not appreciate the way Dare was so dismissive; she obviously did not realise the seriousness of the situation with her family and the Gyptians. She tried her best to keep herself cool and dismiss the allegation that she was lying. Rightfully, she was not but Margo knew arguing would only anger Dare. She slid the letter up from the table.
“If you say so. This is obviously the most common phonetic code.” She studied it for no more than 15 seconds before returning it to Dare. “They found you, flee.” She read it without the obvious concern that would usually plaster her face in situations of the sort. “Do you know who this may be from? It’s not the most difficult code to decipher and I do not find it coincidental that it was received by us in such an… Unprofessional manner. Leaving it on a breakfast platter? Well, anybody could have picked it up! It also means that whoever wrote this was in the building as we slept–” Her words were cut short by another, much more violent jolt of the aircraft.

James did not know how to react, he did not expect to be coddled by Nasti. His body fell limp as he was picked up by the gentle giant and an unfamiliar feeling of sate grew in his chest. Little whimpers of primate noises escaped his throat as he tried to mask his satisfaction. It was so strange but very acceptable and needed. He dared to say a word so as to not spoil this treasured moment. James would not forget this act of kindness. He lay with his eyes shut for what seemed like hours however it was probably only half a minute. He jolted upward slightly.
"Not the best weather for a fly?" He piped up, the turbulence became quite erratic now, and the sky around them was as clear as day. He rubbed his brow again.
 
Dare Doxly
and Nasti

Dare rolled her eyes, irritated by the turbulence, too busy getting her point across to stop and question it.
"It was left by either Baxter or another attendant. They know to watch out for certain people and were instructed to warn us discreetly if they found anything. That Note meant that sometime in the night, someone made an attempt to get to-"
Her rant was cut off by the Captain screaming "We've been shot!"

Surely enough, the airship shuddered one last time before the entire vessel came hurdling down toward the ground, nose first. Dare grabbed Margo by the shoulder, forced her under the table, and threw the seats' cushions on her before diving under the table herself. Nasti, understanding the severity of the situation, picked James back up and flung him under the table too.

Pearl, the Captains Daemon, had a chance to escape through a window as Walter opened it for her.
"Take cover Captain!" Dare yelled, unable to see where he was or if he was safe.

There was little room left for the tiger, so he had to lay mostly outside the table. They had made it with mere seconds left before impact. Dust and smoke filled the cabin as quick as lightning, leaving the air to be hardly breathable. The metal of the ship's exterior had been forced inward to jagged spikes by some of the rocks the ship had crashed onto. Two large trees impaled the vessel, one through the engine, and one through the tail. There was the distinct crackle of fresh lit flames coming from all directions, signaling survivors to flee as quickly as possible.

"Are you ok?" Dare asked, but before anyone would have had the chance to answer, the engine of the aircraft blew to pieces, sending debris flying through the already crumbled cabin. They were rather deep into the ship, safe enough in their make-shift cushion box. Both Dare and Nasti cried out in pain as Dare's upper arm had been pinned between the table and the jagged wall. Her breath was short and unsteady as she focused on trying to unwedge her lacerated arm, but her movements caused an unstable beam above them to be wiggled loose. It came down with a sudden thud, and Dare gasped, unable to form words.

Nasti had come out unscathed, besides slight cuts and abrasions. He tried to focus on getting James and Margo to the door across the cabin, only for his leg to give out. He roared in agony as he felt Dare's pain. Surely, her arm had been broken, and potentially in more than one place.

There were several holes in the hull around them, allowing them brief glimpses of the areas surrounding the crash. Just beyond one of the holes, a beautiful silver dust danced upwards... Pearl?...
 
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Margo
+James
It all happened so fast. Neither of them had much time to react; the collapse of the airship rendered them disarmed. The scream of wind as they were hurled to the ground was slightly buffered from the fortress of the table but little did it help as the engine catapulted pieces of debris their way. Margo swore as Nasti threw James toward safety, His usual gracefulness lost as he hit the wall behind the table. Breathless from the impact, Margo snatched him, grabbing him tight to her chest, bracing them both for a rough landing. He fit perfectly in her arms, she could almost crush him, the delicate bone structure felt brittle in her arms… The small bodied dæmon fell limp just as a piece of metal hit Margo’s head; the collision sent them both slipping in and out of consciousness as they tumbled in the makeshift place of safety. Dare’s wail of agony pulled Margo out of the hazy darkness of unawareness. She swore again, unable to right herself properly from the pain. James had already slipped from her grasp and ran over to Nasti who struggled to get up himself too. He was looking at something through a gap but whatever it was it had already dissipated.

James hovered a gentle hand over Nasti’s head in an attempt to comfort, he winced as the tiger growled in tenderness, afraid that too much care could lead to potential aggravation. He did not actually touch him though.
“Don’t move…” he whispered, panicking a little bit, his head throbbed and he felt as if he was about to slip out of consciousness again. He turned to Dare, her arm pinned against the rubble in an impossible position. He could not imagine the pain they both must be feeling! The monkey wrapped his tail around jutting pieces of timber to remain balanced.
James barely managed to scout himself up onto a higher piece of wreckage, his plan to get a vantage point was disrupted by flying to the ground.
*
Margo screamed, James’ body hung limp, but conscious out of view.
“James!” she cried with genuine worry. She had never had him out of sight without knowing he was there. She tried to stand up but it was as if an impossible force held her down. A low, rumbling snarl resonated through the canyon of wreck, a slither of daylight caused motionless Margo to wince.

There was a hushed sniffing sound, and suddenly Margo felt weaker.
“Two survivors so far,” the voice was deep yet still held a feminine pitch to it, “Keep the small daemon with Lila. We don’t know yet if there is anybody else on board.” The mountainous black and brown figure pointed her nose toward the injured white tiger and growled ominously, her tail thrashing. “Larger dæmon ahead!” she barked, “he’s injured!” The dog slapped her tongue over her lips as slobber drooled out of her bared gums, her hackles raised too for a potential fight could break out any moment. Margo’s face was slick with sweat, she could hear a distant scream as James was tugged further away from her and her heart leapt. It was unimaginable, as if every nerve in their body was being drawn out, there was no relief from the burning.

James bared his little teeth as he attempted to squirm free from the surprisingly strong koala. He hissed and spat but could not break free, he was being dragged further away!
“Wow, this lil’ one is quite the fighter,” the koala had no emotion on her face, she also had her teeth bared, despite her comment being light and humorous.
“That’s enough.” A bellowing voice broke through James' primate screaming and the koalas grunts and the conflict between the two dæmons ended by the unimaginable. James was grabbed by the scruff of his neck but not in the affectionate way Nasti did. He batted at the hands that manhandled him, thrashing with agony and disbelief. His short claws had little effect on the calloused grip that tightened on his neck. There was no hesitation or pity as he was thrown into the metal wire cage. He whimpered, his whole body shook with fright and confusion.

The mastiff dæmon kept one eye on Nasti,
“Do not bother resisting…” She growled, careful not to get too close to the tiger in case he decided to bear his claws into her thick skin. “I will send for Edgar and Craig at once… We will get your host's arm seen by Dr Turner…” She whipped her enormous head in the direction of Dare and the pale body of Margo who looked as if she’d seen a ghost. The bear-dog disappeared for a moment, before returning with two men by her side.

One had a more slim figure than the other, his face grizzled with a well shaven beard. The other was built with much more muscle and vigour, his hair tied back in a neat turban. The more athletic man cocked a rifle toward the injured Nasti, his dæmon was obviously the mastiff that threatened them earlier as she stood closer to him, her tail wagging proudly.
 
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  • A cold sweat began to seep from Dare as she realized blood had begun to seep through her sleaves. A hushed flurry of swears escaped her as she gave it one last tug, only to cut her skin deeper. She let out a gritted hiss, trying to think of a plan, but unable to conjure anything over the throbbing pain of her arm. The sound of growls and booming voices only frightened her more. The sound of a cocking firearm made her whip her head around, only to see Nasti under the nose of a shotgun.
    "Nasti!" She yelled. "Down!"

    Obediently, the tiger backed down, laying his body against the floor and looking up, grumbling lowly as he stared up to the armed man and his massive dog Daemon. His front left leg dragged as he moved himself backward, putting as much space as he could between himself and the weapon.

    "Good boy," The Koala Joked, only to receive a slight shove from the man in the turban. "Sorry," she muttered.

    "Get up and follow us. If you run, he will shoot," Edgar said as he gestured to the slimmer man. "We are gyptians of the Fallsburn settlement, and you are coming with us."

    She kicked Margo, trying to get her attention. "If you can stand, then you better damn well do it." Dare said in a hushed tone. The smoke, pain, shouting, growling... it was all so much. She let her head slump against the metal of the wall beside her, biting down on the collar of her shirt, trying to soothe her nerves, as futile as her efforts were.

    "my arm....The....there's blood...." She said, swallowing harshly as she tried to speak, hindered by the numbness that started to overcome her, replacing the throbbing pain.

    "We will hold you here till a doctor comes. We won't risk moving you until we are sure we can provide immediate medical attention," answered Edgar

 
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Reymond
+Azra
Dr Reymond Turner, one of the main health care providers of Fallsburn adjusted his glasses back to the bridge of his nose. He shuffled papers into an orderly fashion, the only sound amidst the snoring of his dæmon, Azra, who sat on the other side of the desk. She lay on her back, on one of the leather sofas used for clients, it was amusing to watch her snout twitch every once in a while.
The mainland citadels were advancing in their medical fields much more rapidly than he’d expected. The young gyptian doctor was currently scanning through a salvaged article that compared herbal remedies to that of chemical medicine. The bias expressed was outstanding; considering it was written by some arrogant philosopher with no medical training. Such nonsense only caused little relief in this rare moment of solitude. Words, numbers and shapes dotted his vision as he threw the paper in a bin, the double vision settled when he rubbed his eyes with force. The search for the missing children plagued his thoughts; it was certainly disturbing...

Azra awoke with a start, immediately flipping herself upright and a habitual, low growl escaped through clenched jaws. The defensive barrier softened when she realised it was Blaine and with news.
“Blaine, calm down…” he stood up from behind the desk, offering his hands in front of him as some sort of barrier from Blaine’s onslaught of excitement and worry, “Shot it down you say?” his face remained expressionless and he pouted his lips. “We best be on our way then. Explain everything Ms. Quimby said,” he nodded to Azra who’s beady eyes reflected some of his unexpressed anxiety.

He paced himself meticulously, careful not to panic Blaine and Bebe further but he could not help but suggest something. He felt like a spider unravelling his prey.
“You do know… I’m sure that Fredrick would have mentioned it to everybody… That we were expecting guests…” He balled his hands into small fists, and took an exasperated bellow of air. Azra mumbled something to herself as they made it closer to the crash site.
 
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Blaine Wyres
and Bebe

Key:
Ms.Mauve Quimby
Mr.Edgar Quimby

The excitement of the flame haired man was palpable as he not so patiently waited for his friend to give him the ‘ok’. His slim, calloused fingers drummed against the thick leather of Reymon’s medical bag as he did his best to keep himself contained. Endless possibilities of who the people could be and what their purpose was here at Fallsburn flooded his racing mind. They could be pirates… the magisterium… smugglers… thieves… twisted politicians. Any scenario he conjured portrayed the gyptians as the heroes, saving the vulnerable village from the clutches of some conniving villain.

He was brought out of his curious daze as a pillar of pitch-black smoke caught the corner of his eye. “That must be coming from the crash!” said Bebe the squirrel as she scrambled out of Blaine’s blouse pocket. Her little clawed paws made a thump as she landed safely on the ground. She scampered her way over to her tense badger friend, running a circle around her about twice before settling at her left side. “Don’t get all growly now, Azra, it's just us!”

“Come ONNN Reymond, with the smoke that dark, there's no way they won’t need you. Hop to it! Scoot! Move!” Blaine patted the side of the leather bag to emphasize his statement, antsy to get going. Upon turning to see Rey holding out his hand, rather than taking it as a sign to hush, he gave Rey a high five. “Yay, teamwork,” he said with a little chuckle.

With that, he jogged at a matchable pace to the south hill, just past the settlement’s walls. He didn’t bother to check if the doctor followed, knowing surely, he’d keep up.
“This ship showed up hours after the most recent incident. It has to be a lead, even if it’s not the kidnappers. There hasn’t been another ship in months! There’s no way the first one to show up since the incidents started doesn’t have something to do with it… Maybe they’re scouts! Spies! Whatever it is, they’ve been stopped.” He adjusted the strap of his guitar as he ran, catching his breath for a moment and giving Rey a chance to talk.

Wait. Visitors? Frederick had visitors coming?
“No, no one ever comes here, why would there be…”
His voice trailed off and his pace slowed to a stop just as they reached the wreckage. The muscles all throughout his body were visibly tensed, forcing him to freeze as he gazed on to the blaze.
“Oh no…” Bebe whispered, feeling a sea of horrible emotions wash over her, all coming from Blaine. “You forgot…”
“I forgot,” Blaine echoed hopelessly. The massive fire reflected perfectly off of the tears welling up in his eyes.

“I didn’t tell Alma or Ms.Quimby about it! I forgot Fredrick was expecting people. Damnit Rey, I forgot!” he yelled, shoving the satchel of medical supplies into Rey’s hands before sprinting towards the chaos as the gleam of a gun caught his eyes. He struggled to worm the strap of his guitar off of himself, tossing his precious instrument to the side, praying it would speed his dissent down the hill. He tripped, rolling halfway to the group at the bottom. Just as quick as he fell, he scrambled back up, ignoring the bruises and cuts he earned himself in his tumble.

The towering cloud of smoke was enough to know that people were hurt… but hopefully no one… no, that's too morbid to think about. Surely no one died… Right?

Blaine knew he couldn’t handle such heavy guilt on his conscience. Too often, his simple mistakes would cause some kind of damage. Typically, they were problems he could fix. Maybe he tripped over a fence and broke it, or accidentally ran into a child, or broke a dish; all problems he could easily solve. He’d never caused an accident of this magnitude before, and he knew, as the glint of the shotgun’s barrel snapped him back to the present moment, that this was something irreparable. But by the gods, he would damn well try to fix it.

“Don’t shoot,” he screamed frantically, his voice breaking as he projected, making himself as loud as possible. “Don't shoot!” The musician’s nimble legs carried him down the hill and straight in front of the gun. He spread his arms out, and stepped forward, hoping to get Mr.Craig Black and his daemon to stand down. “Please put it down Mr.Black!” his shaking voice pleaded. “These are some of Fredrick’s people from Oxford! They might know something about Adeline and the disappearances! It’s my fault! I was supposed to tell you! I'm sorry, I'm so so sorry! Gods… We have to get them out of here!”

Mr.Black didn’t fully lower his gun, but backed off enough to make those on the other end a bit more relaxed. Ms.Mauve Quimby, who had been a bystander until now, stepped in to organize the efforts of everyone involved. Her sandhill crane demon delicately followed after her, surveying the scene for more survivors.

“Craig,” Ms.Quimby started, “I trust you and Fenir to handle the tiger. Edgar, Lila, grab the orange haired girl and make sure she’s fine. Reymond, I’m going to get this table off of ‘tiger girl’s’ arm. The second she’s free, tie off the wound. If it doesn't look like it will cause lethal blood loss, then check ‘orange hair’ before you tend to tiger further. Once I’m done getting her out, I’ll check the wreckage for more people.” Though the scene around her was hellish, she was composed and cool headed. Her graceful steps carried her towards the trapped aristocrat almost without a sound. Once her hands had a solid grasp of the table, she was able to pull it out of the floor, screws and all, with one hard tug.

“Alright, let's move!” she commanded, leaving the fair-haired girl in her spot on the floor.

With one arm, Edgar lifted Margo off of the ground, bringing her away from the collapsed ship and laying her flat on the grass. “You’ll be alright lass,” he assured before turning to the caged monkey and setting him free. "Here ya go, little guy." Once the cage door was opened, he held the smaller cage towards Margo, deducing that James was her daemon, and that he might like to reunite with her.

Ms.Quimby stalked off towards the crushed cabin, checking for a captain, or other survivors. She left everyone to tend to the tasks, returning about five minutes later with a hat and a name tag in her hands. She approached her husband, Edgar, and whispered something to him. He hung his head low for a moment, before glancing over to Blaine with a look of pity on his face.

Blaine knew exactly what that meant; the captain did not survive. He did this to that captain. He killed an innocent man. He’d live knowing man’s blood was on his hands. Engulfed in a glut of grief and guilt, he turned to walk away, unable to stand amidst the ruins of his most disastrous mistake yet. Tears free-fell down his pale freckled cheeks. His sobs became too strong for his body to keep up with. He fell forward, kneeling into the soft grass as his body trembled. Bebe sat beside him, feeling all he felt, unable to bring herself to do anything at all besides sit there.

Mauve clicked her tongue and shook her head, torn between being angry with the man and pitying him. Regardless, as she saw it, they had more pressing matters than Blaine’s hurt feelings, though it was much deeper of a cut than that.
 
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Reymond
+ Azra

Blaine’s enthusiasm burnt as hot as the colour of his hair, the fiery thoughts consuming most of his intellect with it. Reymond huffed out a sigh, he could feel a stitch bruising the inside of his rib and the upward climb was exhausting. Thankfully, Blaine held his medical satchel and a guitar; if he did not then he would have lost him.
Keeping up with Blaine and Bebe had always been a struggle, however much Reymond tried to understand his hyperactive attitude, they were either one step ahead or two steps behind. Currently, despite the pace of his words and the enthusiasm in his voice it was the latter. Azra could not help but chuckle at the small, fast paced squirrel.
“I was enjoying a nice nap, before all this commotion!” The honey badger retorted jokingly just as they reached the head of the crash site her face returned to seriousness again.

The mangled wreck billowed wisps of smoke out into the atmosphere, the scent of chemicals bitter on the roof of his mouth. He finally caught Blaine up and placed one hand on his accomplices' back,
“You can’t change what has happened now. We have to make do with the present…” Rey covered his face with a flannel, to muffle the intrusive fumes, “How about you help me? It would be better if you left your guitar somewhere safe, I could use some of that musician’s strength.” he pinched the underside of Blaine's arm, lightheartedly before returning to the scene that was spewed out before them.

Ms. Quimby’s instructions were clear, release then stem the bleeding but before the count of three he took a foldable blanket around the area and Azra cleared some sharp pieces of timber out the way for a tidier operating area. Reymond settled himself closer to the woman, inspecting her reactions, her pupils seemed dilated from the pain. Reymond revealed a bundle of herbs from his satchel, crushing them under her nose before touching her forehead. It was clammy with cold sweat, however that was very expected from the amount of blood she had lost.
“Hello, Miss. My name is Reymond. What is your name?” The question was more rhetorical to see how quick it would take for a response, “We will be releasing you from this table on the count of three…” He nodded to Mauve who glowered with anticipation.
“One, two–” Her crane dæmon, Oren, cawed loudly when Mauve was ready to release the tiger woman’s arm.

Meanwhile, Craig sneered at the injured tiger dæmon, lowering his rifle down to the ground and pushing to his back on a shoulder strap. Ymir circled Nasti with malicious intention however did not bear her teeth or bark, instead she drew herself closer to examine his wounds and whisper quietly.
“That man there,” she nuzzled toward Reymond and Azra, “he’s going to tie off the wound- the one your woman obtained. It’ll hurt like hell but try not to react with hostility or else…” the Tibetan Mastiff jumped back and signalled to Craig to flash his weapon again. “You’ll be as good as Dust.”
*​
The herbs Reymond had crushed provided some distraction from the pain, his own fingers felt quite numb after doing so. The plant was a mild tranquiliser with some hallucinogenic side effects, but the efficacious remedy of the bundle outweighed the risk factor. As soon as the weight was relieved he created a tourniquet and bandaged any open wounds. The material he used was not like the soft cotton pads as a Magisterium owned hospital used, it was much more abrasive, smelt of alcohol and slightly yellowed in colour. Azra apologised to the woman as she thrashed slightly in the agony of moving her arm. It was all for the best.

Although Reymond was working very professionally with the little resources, he would have really appreciated Blaine’s help. Where was that boy?
Margo
+James
As soon as the cage was released, the little monkey lept dramatically over toward Margo and hugged her chest tightly. His face was still teary from the pain but he hissed with an attempt of defiance. He kept nuzzling into her but did not keep his eyes off the koala dæmon. Margo, a little less weak, shuffled herself forward and upright and patted dust off her attire. Apart from being slightly sore on her head, she was able to stand herself out and push past the rubble. The gyptian with the turban offered a hand out to support her, but she declined, giddy from the adrenaline. That was the worst thing that had ever happened to her; for James to be out of view and so far away! Margo placed a hand over her little dæmon’s head as he nuzzled into her coat, stroking him reassuringly, though hiding him from her expression of gloat. She could not believe how interesting that was!
Margo kept her balance as she emerged from the wreckage, keeping her head low from the prying eyes of the gyptians. If they were to recognise her… She couldn’t imagine the uproar- that would be the end of this expedition… Her flannel shirt was ripped in places however nowhere that tainted her modesty.
“Wasn’t that just awful…” James whimpered, cooing softly to himself, he could feel the beating of his heart through her shirt. “I thought I was going to die… I never want to experience that again.” Margo pitied the poor thing, so naive to the fact that it was only just the beginning.
 
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