"The idea in and of itself was not so bad Sara. I just would not like to see you harmed in all of this. I'm hardly strong enough to protect you. I cannot even protect myself." The Daemon lets out a low sighing warble, looking down at the bedsheets. "And you do not need to apologize for me. For better or worse we are both in this together. If I cannot trust your judgement and give you the courtesy of listening to your ideas, what kind of partner does that make me? We are equals, and It is time I started treating you as such." Sara was rather meek to be sure. Though she was not lacking for kindness, it was clear that she could not bring herself to deny Rasteva what they asked. Because of this, the Daemon had unintentionally been walking all over her practically from the beginning. Sara did not really need Rasteva, not truly. But they needed HER. Unfortunately they had nothing to offer her in return at present. And though the young woman assured them that she did not require anything, Rasteva was still determined to repay her in some manner.

And so they were a little surprised and slightly puzzled at Sarah's answer to their question."Well that is quite noble of you Sara. Not many are so willing to give of themselves without something given to them in turn." The Daemon could not understand it at all. Sara said that she was happy to help them out as best she could. And while it was nice, Rasteva wasn't sure how to feel about it. On some level they were glad that the young woman wanted to help them at all, and with her they had accomplished more than they would have alone. On the other hand they wondered if her desire to help without need of a reward stemmed from her natural shyness. It made sense, Sara did not like to impose and probably felt odd asking for anything even if she truly desired it. Mulling over their thoughts silently for a few moments, Rasteva decided that they would reward her anyhow when they were able to. She didn't have to know about it of course, but the Daemon would feel much better gifting her with something after she worked so hard to help them.

Giving their feathers another ruffle, Rasteva settled down on the bed content to rest there for the night. Even though they did not sleep, the act of resting on the bed with Sara while she did was calming. The quiet was welcome and brought peace, leaving the Daemon alone to meditate. Their beady eyes surveyed Sara for a moment before they spoke again. "I think tomorrow I will give you a history lesson. Provided you are not busy of course. I hope that my presence has not kept you from your studies. They are very important." They had already taken up so much of her spare time, Rasteva did not want to distract her from her schooling as well. "If you need to leave during the day, that is fine too. All that you need to do is let me out, I can keep myself occupied during the day and then return here in the evening when you come home."

Did they really think that they were treating her as something other than a partner? Sure, they had a little awkward beginning but so far she thought they had been getting along just fine. At the compliment, the young woman merely shrugged. She didn't see it as a big deal, it was just a favor. Yawning, she nodded at the history lesson. The more she knew on Daemons the better. At the mention of her studies, she couldn't help but shrink back a little. She had been neglecting her studies just a bit since Rasteva had needed her attention. Clearing her throat, she avoided eye contact with the raven. "I-I ah...Yeah! I've been on that. After you give me your lesson I'll probably just go over...some notes or something." She smiled. In reality, she had a few tests coming up and had not the time in-between learning of a world she hadn't needed to be a part of until last week and sewing up protection for Rasteva. With another yawn, she laid down and easily slipped into her dreams.

------

When the morning arrived, Sara sat up, stretching her arms above her head as her alarm chirped at her. Silencing it, she turned her attention to Rasteva and gave a small sleepy wave. "Morning," She breathed, standing as she moved about the apartment to get her morning routine out of the way. Upon returning, she had changed into a black skirt with a pink floral design on it, and a cream colored thick sweater loosely tucked into it with matching thick thermal tights and pink leather ankle boots. She pulled a pink flower crown into her hair, deciding to wear it in two braids since she would want it out of her face to study. Sitting at the table after making a breakfast consisting of toast, eggs and sausage, she pushed a plate of the same towards Rasteva, making sure to have them be of edible sizes for them. "You mentioned different vessels. Would you like to stay in the realm of animals, Rasteva?" The sleepy girl tilted her head towards them as she got up to fix her a glass of milk, returning and taking a sip.

Rasteva gave Sara a critical look, her stammering not escaping their notice. "I see well. You have been quite busy assisting me these past few days. But I don't want to stand in the way of your education. I am sure that anything we need to do can be set aside for now. You should not neglect your studies." The Daemon really wasn't in the position to lecture anyone, least of all Sara after she'd been so helpful, but Rasteva valued higher learning too much to see even a little of it go to waste. "If you require assistance in your studies, I would be more than glad to help you. I am sure that it would ease the burden, even if only a little." It was not much in the way of thanks, but it was still a step in the right direction and Rasteva was committed to repaying Sara in any way that they were able. They listened to the woman's soft breathing as she drifted to sleep before settling themselves down for the night as well.

Morning came and as had become customary for them, Rasteva parked themselves in front of the Television to watch the news while Sara readied herself for the day. The Human's antics on the screen were usually a source of amusement for them, but right now the Daemon was hoping that the news had anything more to say about the Purgers. They didn't seem to be stating anything different other than the usual warnings to stay alerted, but Rasteva knew that another assault would come sooner or later.

The Daemon shook their head and flew towards the kitchen when Sara called out to them. She had prepared a breakfast for both of them and Rasteva made no complaints as they began to eat their own portion. They were pecking at some of the eggs when the young woman's question caught their attention and they looked up from their meal. "Well. I have already chosen a vessel to reflect my own desires, Sarah. Instead, you can pick one that you'd like. Something to reflect your own interests." It was a small thing that Rasteva hoped could bridge the gap between them, and letting Sara choose a vessel for them would be a good way to show her that they were a team and equals. "But that can wait I think. For now you have some studying to do, hmmm?"

At the mention of her picking something more suited to her tastes, she found herself asking if that's something that she would enjoy. The raven might not have been her go-to choice, but it had grown on her a little and Rasteva seemed incredibly comfortable in it, at least as much as she figured they could be in a vessel not their own. They didn't seem to sit on it too long, reminding her of her studies that she needed to attend to. If she didn't her grades were sure to suffer. Nodding in agreement, after she finished her breakfast and gave another stretch, she gathered materials from her classes and sat down in the living room. If she needed help with something, she would take Rasteva's offer from last night and ask them for their assistance. While she didn't, she was sure they could entertain themselves with the news. From what she had seen, they were rather fond of watching the news. If to gain information or simply observe what humans deemed important enough to broadcast over a large scale was another thing she wasn't sure of as far as their reasoning for tuning in.

She pulled out her math work first, wanting to get it out of the way. Staring at the section in her math book that went on about Statistics, and looking at the different formulas she was given to work with. Frowning as she tried working with a pair of fractions that were multiplied with variables, she erased for what would not have been the last time, turning to the raven with a rather frustrated look. "Can you try to explain this to me? Statistics isn't my strong point.."

The Raven peeked over at Sara's notes strewn over the table and cocked their head. Picking up a pencil in their beak the Raven hopped towards a blank sheet of paper. Their grip on the writing implement was awkward and once more Rasteva wished that they had hands again, but they made due with what they had. The Daemon began to scrawl a series of equations onto the paper, along with several different fractions. "Here. I am not sure what kind of teacher you are studying under, but their methods are questionable at best." The Daemon tapped at the figures scrawled on the paper. "This is the most efficient manner in which to solve these equations. Here, I have done a few of them myself to illustrate how it's done. I cannot understand why the Humans that wrote this book would make everything so complicated."

Once they were sure that Sara had understood the proper method they'd written down for her Rasteva resumed watching TV. As before there was nothing of interest on, but the show that was playing suddenly cut away to a News report. "We interrupt our regularly scheduled programming to bring a special report." The scene at the news Desk cuts to an unfamiliar square, but from the look of things, it was in the center of the city. A frazzled reporter stands in front of the camera and behind him, a large crowd of people could be seen milling around. "I'm here downtown on the scene of where a bloody fight has taken place. Several members of the Anti Daemon Coalition calling themselves the 'Purgers' have been injured."

Rasteva tugged on Sara's sleeve to get her attention indicating that she should watch too. "Sara. Sara look!"The Daemon turns back to the TV screen watching with renewed interest. The Camera panned over to show a person being carried on a stretcher into a waiting ambulance. "Witnesses say that they don't know what started the conflict, but the group was soundly beaten by a man accompanied by a Daemon that looked like a large Stag. He apparently fled the scene before the authorities arrived, but witness reports state that the uniform he was wearing bore the mark of Apex Implementations." Rasteva cocked their head, beady eyes staring at the screen. "That name is...The same business that she owns. Sara, what do you make of this?" The Daemon was puzzled, not quite understanding why the man had acted the way they said he did. It certainly seemed out of character from how people had been acting the past few days. Perhaps Sara wasn't the only interested in taking a hands-on approach to solve things.

The screen flashed to the Reporter questioning some people. "Well, I don't see what the fuss is about." An older man was on the screen now, seeming unimpressed with everything. "These Punks have been causing trouble for everybody. It's about time that they had some sense smacked into those head of theirs." The Reporter moved to question a Police Officer on standby and he looked to be rather irritated. "The Purgers HAVE been a problem for the people of our city, but that's no reason to go taking matters into your own hands. We need everyone to trust that Law Enforcement will get the situation under control. What we don't need is acts of Vigilantism around the city." The Screen cut away back towards the Reporter. "And there you have it. The Authorities have told us that they will be getting in contact with Apex Implementations, but so far their CEO has not made an effort to comment. That concludes our Report, we now return to our regularly scheduled program." The News cut out as abruptly as it had come on and returned to the show airing previously. It did nothing to interest Rasteva, as their thoughts were a veritable storm. "I do not understand. One lone man and a Daemon against a group of them? They must have been either remarkably brave or incredibly foolish." The Raven glanced up at Sara again. "Although I suppose I was wrong to brush aside your idea from the night before, Sara. It seems that some people are willing to place themselves in danger to defend others."

As they explained what was going on with her math problems, she nodded, taking their advice and breezed through the rest of her assignment. "I don't know why we tend to over-complicate things, Rasteva. Maybe it is just us trying to make sure we covered every way how to solve it and then mushed them together." She laughed, though it did fit an accurate representation of how she felt as far as the way teachers explained how to solve these problems. She started to tune out the news, figuring it was just more of the day-to-day that Rasteva enjoyed watching. However, their voice pulled her out of her next subject, her eyes looking to the screen in front of her. "What..?" Her eyes narrowed slightly as the camera went over from the medics attending to the injured to a sole shilloutte of a person as the camera had to re-focus. She had hoped maybe it was who did it, but they were already long gone. It was just a reporter talking to people who had hovered around.

Listening to the name, she looked a bit surprised. "That is the name of the same company that handles the Daemons!" She shouted, pointing to the television as she put the two together. Hearing something about a she, her eyes lowered to Rasteva's form on the table. "Her? You know the woman that owns the company, Rasteva? I didn't know that! That's kind of cool, isn't it? Hey, if you know someone that powerful why don't you ask her for help? You might get better clues to finding your actual body." She suggested with a smile. Even so, if the person they were talking about was from the same company, they might just be acting on their own accord. "I think someone else got worried about Daemons getting a tarnished image from the loud people...Well, maybe fed up is the word."

She couldn't help but agree with the older man who was all for the actions the person had taken. Frowning, she couldn't help but roll her eyes at the police officer on screen. People around obviously weren't buying what the officer was spouting about the local law enforcement was going to handle it. Clearly a single person not bound by rules and regulations could actually do something about it that the officers might not be able to do otherwise.. The news faded out to loop the weather for about the ninth time, and Rasteva had her attention again. "I would air on the side of foolish, if I had to pick one. One against who knows how many in the group? It's completely reckless, even if you have a strong Daemon..But I didn't think there would already be someone who has a Daemon of that strength yet. How can we be sure there really only was one of them with that logo and maybe they had help from the sides nobody saw? It might be more likely..." She frowned. However, she shook her head. "We can't be sure if their goals are the same as the ones I mentioned previously. I don't know if we would actually go to lengths to harm anyone on purpose. At least, not to the point of needing prolonged hospitalization. Whoever did things obviously wants these Purgers gone no matter the cost to them..That's dangerous." Another thing that worried her was that she had no idea whose side this mystery person was on. Sure, they attacked the Purgers, and bore the Daemon Company Logo, but that didn't mean anything. They could easily attack a user tomorrow, who wasn't a Purger...There were so many things left to chance, and it made her uncomfortable.

The Raven ruffled their feathers as Sara seemingly grew excited over the prospect of them knowing the CEO. "Yes. She is, but in my dealings with her she has proven to be less than kind." The Daemon hummed softly, turning their gaze back towards the TV. "I find the price of her 'help' to be far too steep for my liking and we'll leave it at that." Rasteva's tone left no room for argument, and they did not like being so brusque with Sara, but their dislike of the Businesswoman was far too great to simply set aside. "As for our little 'hero' being reckless, I agree wholeheartedly. Though against a Daemon of significant strength even a group of unarmed individuals should pose no threat."

Rasteva wondered briefly if there was any correlation between the person on TV and their employer. It certainly seemed like something she'd do, but how could she have known what these people even looked like? Much less how and where they operated. Shaking their head, the Raven looked back up at Sara. "It is a bloody solution, but not everyone is inclined to fight fairly. And can it really be said that these people are undeserving of such treatment? You were there at the Library. You saw what they did. If the Purgers did not want to be beaten to within an inch of their lives, then they should not have gone out hurting people." The Raven perched themselves on Sara's knee and proceeded to make themselves comfortable."I know this is not something you like Sara, but the short of it is that someone saw a problem and attempted to solve it as best they could. Even if their motives and methods may be questionable I am sure good has come out of this. Perhaps now the Purgers will think twice before attacking someone again." The Daemon thought back to the irritable Police Officer on the news. "And perhaps after being so embarrassed, your Law Enforcement might actually do something about them." The Daemon said this not only to reassure Sara but themselves as well. They still had no idea what the fight could mean for their own future and that of the City but they did not think that it bode well at all. "I only hope that this does not cause things to get too out of hand..."

---

Lorette sat behind her desk, several fingers pressed to her temple as she glared at the finely dressed man standing in front of her. "When I told you to take care of the problem Allister, I assumed that it went without saying that you were to do it as quietly as possible." The man smiled serenely at Lorrete, his voice as calm and clear as a stream even in the face of his Employer's ire. "But Lorette, you know how Faendr I can be. What's the point of us putting on a show if there is no audience around to even see it?" The man placed a gloved hand to his chin, his expression becoming thoughtful. "If no one is around to see it, can it even be called a show?" Lorette's eyebrow began to twitch visibly in irritation, Allister's nonchalant demeanor only serving to anger her even more. "Allister, I shouldn't need to explain to you how serious this is. You were seen by a lot of people and subsequently connected to this very place." The woman throws one of her hands up sharply. "And if you wanted people to look at you THAT badly, WHY didn't you at least change into something that wouldn't identify you as one of my Employees?" Allister paused to fiddle with one of his cufflinks and at least had the decency to look sheepish at her question. "I may have gotten a little overzealous and forgotten to change into something less incriminating." The woman behind the desk sat back in her chair stared at him pointedly, and Allister felt himself shrinking back just a little bit. "Allister, in only one sentence I want you to explain to me why I shouldn't throw you out of a window right now." The man twiddled his gloved fingers, eyes darting around the room before coming to settle back on Lorette. "The Police are on their way over and want to question us."

Lorette felt a migraine coming on. "Of course they do. And who's fault is that?"

"......Mine."

"And who will be taking a ten percent cut to their salary because of this?"

"No! Please! That's my silk tie money!"

Lorrete prepared herself to deliver a sound rebuttal on why a grown man shouldn't need to set aside a portion of his salary for ties but was cut off by her phone beeping. Holding up a finger to keep Allister in place, the woman barked sharply into the phone. "What is it?" A deep voice on the other side let out a gruff chuckle in response. "Just because Allister dropped the ball on this one, doesn't mean you need to bite all of our heads off Boss." Lorette grits her teeth, grinding out softly. "What do you want Mr.Solberg?" The man on the other end dropped his joking manner almost immediately. "The Cops are here to see you and Schoen. They're pretty mad about what happened, so don't expect them to be on their best behavior." The CEO let out a deep sigh, nodding her head even though her Chief of Security could not see it. "I honestly expected as much but I appreciate the warning. Send them up." Lorette ended the call before the man on the other end could answer and affixed Allister with an icy stare. "I shouldn't have to say this, but it's obvious that you can't be trusted to your own devices. Do not ruin this for either of us." Allister let out a small scoffing sound, snapping a mock salute to Lorette. "Yes, Ma'am." Lorette snorted softly in amusement and turned her attention to the door to her office. The two of them did not have to wait long and moments later two Officers entered the room. Lorette shot Allister one last look that screamed 'behave' before rising to greet the two men that had entered the room. "Hello, Gentlemen. How might Apex Implementations assist you today?"

Sara sighed. "I mean, I know what they did, but I'm just saying maybe not to that extreme..." Though if that bookshelf had fallen on that student they would have probably had more than just a hospital visit. "I just want there to be a middle ground. You know, sure use force to make them stop, but we don't have to fall that far to go out with the intent to hurt people that badly. If so, aren't we just the same as the Purgers?" The Police getting aggravated about all this extra paperwork did bring her a bit of relief. "Yes, with all this going on they don't have a choice but to be more vigilant in the streets."

The young woman gave a soft sigh. "I wouldn't hold your breath, Rasteva. With something like this, especially televised I fear we may witness more outbursts, especially from those who don't think the Police are going to do anything. They can't have eyes everywhere after all.." Turning back to her studies, as she news shifted over to weather reports, she tapped her pencil against the table. "Did you have any friends, Rasteva? Do Daemons only communicate through speech?" She knew them to not be social with humans, or many other Daemons, but perhaps they knew a few? If they could contact any sort of Daemon to be on their side with all this chaos starting to break out, it might help.

Rasteva was not sure if they agreed with Sara fully, but they weren't so foolish as to not recognize her concerns. War in any form was awful and rife with tragedy. Be it on the battlefield or the streets of the city that one would call home. Sara had every right to be concerned about innocent people being caught up in the midst of things, but unfortunately, this City was the very place that the Purgers had seen fit to wage their war on Daemonkind. Ruffling their feathers the Raven nodded and sighed, seeking to comfort the young woman. "Yes, I can see why that would be a concern of yours. This situation has been a powderkeg waiting to explode for some time now. We can never truly know why the person on the news did what they did today. Knowing the Purgers and what they're capable of I'd imagine that they felt sufficiently threatened by them. It's also possible that their Daemon felt very strongly that they were in danger and wanted to protect them as best they could. It was an ugly and unfortunate thing to be sure, but I think that many people and their Daemons are sick and tired of feeling helpless." The Daemon perched on Sara's knee stared up at her with beady eyes. "A cornered animal tends to fight quite ferociously after all."

The woman's question caught the Daemon off guard and gave them pause for a moment. In truth, Rasteva did not have what could be considered friends. Allies to be certain, but friends were not something that they concerned themselves with. Something that had recently come back to haunt them in their darkest hours. The Daemon sighed lightly and looked back up at Sara. "Friends? Not really, not in the true sense. I am sure I could find someone willing to assist us, but it would cost something in return." The Raven fell silent, mulling over their thoughts for a moment. "And truth be told I am not sure I feel comfortable taking you to meet these kinds of people, Sara. They tend to frequent the less savory parts of the city. For me, it was not a problem to visit, but I'd feel quite bad if something were to happen to you out there....These sorts are not overly fond of humans I'm afraid." Rasteva hummed softly and considered their options once more in silence before speaking again. "I suppose...There is ONE person we might ask for help...." The Raven visibly cringed as if the thought somehow offended them. "But this person is....Something, to be sure. I am not sure how to put it. I suppose I could say that their manner is a little overbearing." They looked up at Sara and leveled her with a rather serious gaze. "To be completely honest, I'm worried that they may turn out to be a bad influence on you, Sara."

Sara sighed. They did have a point. People and animals did have a tendency to act differently when immense pressure is put on them. But what was to be expected? Their response to her question had her raise an eyebrow. Not in the true sense? "Cost? Friends don't really ask for things in return, not usually.." She began, and crossed her arms. "I'm not sure if I would be able to rest easy with you out there alone. N-Not that I don't believe that you can't handle your own, don't get me wrong!" She corrected, doing a bit of a backpedal. "I just...it would have me a bit on edge with you not around, is all. However if you feel that you'd feel better going by yourself, I won't stop you."

Seeing the cringe, Sara reached out to gently run a finger over Rasteva's head. "I don't know why help is something you actively shun, Rasteva. Needing help isn't a sign of weakness, you know. Only with the help of others will you gain knowledge you otherwise would not have known." Sara reminded them. They did suggest one person, not really naming them. Overbearing manners? "Well...I'm not sure what you mean by a bad influence, actually..I don't think they would? Maybe? I'm not sure...We don't have to be around them a lot if you're worried about it, and we don't have to bring them back here for security and privacy reasons. Would that help?"

She wasn't really sure who Rasteva had in mind, but even if they would try to influence her in a negative fashion, someone they could go to was surely better than fumbling around in the dark on this issue by themselves, wasn't it?

Rasteva muttered something incomprehensible as Sara attempted to reassure them, the gentle stroking of their head soothing the Daemon's nerves somewhat. She was right of course, there was nothing inherently wrong with seeking help. They were certainly not in the position tho be saying so when one considered where they were. Rasteva let out a soft grumble. "I am aware of that Sara. It is not that I feel weakness in asking for help. It is just that I am used to being alone and wholly self-sufficient. Before I met you I did not have any close companions." The Raven shook their head, muttering softly. "Only acquaintances and even that is putting it kindly." Rasteva eyed Sara with beady eyes as she expressed her concern over them going out into the city alone."Hrmm, yes well you are right to be wary, especially given what we've just witnessed on TV. But simply put there is no other recourse. If we wish to get any answers to our questions, we must head out." The Daemon shook their head, feathers ruffling. "Ah no, of course not. I've no intention of bringing them HERE of all places. While they may be trustworthy, I've no intention of putting up with their nonsense at all hours of the day."
The Raven hopped off of Sara's shoulder and perched on her shoulder as had since become customary for them. "I suppose we'd best be off if we want to get there anytime soon. Simply follow my instructions and all will be well." The Raven stared down at Sara intently. "And if anyone asks you to buy something, politely decline."

---

The trip to the location that Rasteva did not take long, merely a scant thirty minutes and they were there. The Raven perched on Sara's shoulder instructed her to turn into a narrow alleyway. A set of concrete stairs stood at one end and the duo approached cautiously. "Hrmm...This is the place. Though I do not see anyone here...." As if waiting for them to speak a shadow suddenly spread out under Sara's feet before beginning to rise from the ground. A massive Bear hauled itself out of the ground. Thick furry arms bracing their weight against the asphalt as they rose to their hind legs and towered over the two of them. The Bear's face was obscured, hidden in the shadow of a wide-brimmed hat perched on its head, though its eyes could be seen glowing beneath it as it observed Rasteva and Sara critically.

"You two look lost. Why don't you turn around and get movin' AWAY from here." Rasteva stared balefully up at the large Bear Daemon, their voice clipped as they addressed them. "Step aside Bandalur, I am here on business." The Bear leaned down and forward looming over the two of them as they inspected Rasteva. "Rast.....Is that you? The hell you doin' in that bird getup. And with a Human no less?" Bandalur gently prodded Sara with a large claw, chuckling gruffly. "Where'd you get this one? She looks a bit small, yeah?" Rasteva flapped their wings furiously, staring angrily up at Bandalur. "Leave her be! And hush! What I do and whom I spend my time with is not your business. And last I checked asking questions was not part of your job." Bandalur grumbled lowly and straightened back up. "Hurrumph! Still got that stick up your ass I see. Tch, fine. Get your asses inside before I change my mind." The Bear Daemon moved their bulk aside to allow Sara and Rasteva passage to the end of the alleyway. "And don't go startin' any trouble, otherwise I'll throw both of you out on your asses."

Rasteva let out a loud sigh once they were down the stairs, the two of them coming to stop in front of a rusted metal door. Loud music and talking could be heard on the other side, and Rasteva took a moment to compose themselves. "I am not overly fond of this place, but we require information and those inside have it." The Daemon cast a worried glance in Sara's direction. "Are you ready?"

She was relieved to hear that they had no intention on bringing their acquaintance anywhere near her apartment. Nodding, she let Rasteva get situated before grabbing her coat and heading outside after slipping on her shoes. Surprised to see how close they were to where Rasteva needed to go, she couldn't help glance towards the bird on her shoulder. "Why would I buy something from someone I don't know? I mean..I might think about it, if I liked it enough.." Sara went through the process of why someone would be trying to sell her something. Was it like the people at carnivals, shouting to get your attention to what they had to offer? When she put it that way, it sounded quite enjoyable! But, something told her deep down that if Rasteva were to warn her beforehand that perhaps she wouldn't want anything offered here anyway. The dark alley had her quite nervous, fidgeting with the end of her jacket sleeve. "Are you sure this is right, Rasteva? Maybe we passed it?" She asked softly.

Seeing the shadow, she couldn't help the small squeak of surprise as the bear materialized out of seemingly nowhere. "W-We're not here to--" Rasteva knew this bear? But he was so gruff sounding! Was this the person they were talking about? Maybe not...The way they interacted didn't seem to give her any indication that they were more than just of name-sake. The young woman couldn't help flinching as the bear poked at her with their rather large paw. Small? "I-I don't think--" Rasteva seemed to cut in again. Job? Daemon's had jobs? They didn't seem to be making good friends with the bear... She nodded quickly and moved past them, whispering a small thank you, and apology for Rasteva's quick tongue.

"I'm not sure if that was the best way to approach them. What if they got really upset and wanted to fight?" She frowned. Nearing the end of the staircase, she gently moved a hand to shield one of her ears. "How can music be that loud?" She whined softly. "I am, but I'm not sure if my ear drums are..." Once Rasteva was ready, she took a deep breath before pulling the door forward, surprised at how light the metal was. They were instantly hit with the music, bass boasting from across the floor. She could hardly hear herself think. There was a lot of her senses being stimulated at once. Her ears pulsed, and her eyes were constantly forced to move with the rhythmic lights, and colorful characters that ushered their way into view. And what was that smell? She cast her eyes about, unable to really place it. Was it food? Someone's perfume or cologne maybe? She couldn't really tell. Sara got so caught up in her senses she nearly forgot Rasteva was on her shoulder, until she felt their feet shift a bit, causing her to focus back onto them.

"Y-Yes? Sorry, were you saying something?"

Rasteva huffed, looking over at Sara to see if she was well enough to push deeper into the building. "Come along now. And do not worry about Bandalur. He acts as a Guard to this place and is critical of newcomers. Frankly I find him to be very irritating, he talks too much." The Daemon used a wing to gesture towards the back of the room, a Bar situated at the farthest wall. "Back there, we will find who we're looking for." Navigating the throngs of people proved to be a test in patience. Daemons and Humans packed the building wall to wall. Talking, laughing, dancing and sometimes arguing. Many of them weren't too inclined to make way for Rasteva and Sara as they tried to get to the bar, but fortunately everyone seemed too distracted to concern themselves with having their toes stepped on.

Sara and Rasteva finally reached the Bar and the Raven wasted no time in fluttering off of Sara's shoulder and onto the countertop. The Daemon strutted across the wood, head darting to and fro as if searching for someone. "Where is she?" A short purple haired woman suddenly rose form Behind the Bar and glared down at Rasteva. "Hey! Get your tiny bird feet off of my Bar! This is a nice establishment I'm running here!" Rasteva stared up at the woman, looking unamused. "A pleasure to see you too, Lady Dalia." The woman's violet eyes widened in shock and she leaned forward to stare incredulously at the other Daemon. "No way! Rasteva you're so SMALL! And so cute! Look at you!" Dalia squealed excitedly and scooped up a protesting Rasteva in both hands to hold them up for inspection. "You put me down this instant! I do not deserve this kind of treatment and I will have your respect!" Dalia didn't seem to particularly care about what Rasteva was saying and continued to hold them. "Look at you! You got yourself a little vessel, that's so sweet-And you seem different somehow....." Dalia stared at Rasteva intently and the Raven shrunk back from her searching gaze. "Oh Dear.....Rasteva what happened to you?" The Raven struggled in the woman's grasp until they managed to free themselves from her grasp. "My Companion and I must speak with you privately." Rasteva used a wing to gesture at Sara standing nearby and Dalia's gaze narrowed dangerously at the Human. "Oh I see how it is...." Rasteva groaned loudly. "Dalia..."

"You're cheating on me!"

Rastvea sputtered loudly, feathers suddenly puffing out. "WHAT?!"

Dalia held a hand to her chest, looking on the verge of tears. "You're gone for weeks and then you come back to tell me that you've been traipsing around with some Human hussy! I can't believe this!"

"She is not a Hussy, and we haven't be traipsing anywhere....Why am I having this conversation with you? Pull yourself together this instant and help us!"

Dalia frowned down at Rasteva and then shot another glare at Sara. "FINE. I'll listen to what you both have to say, but I don't know how much I want to help either of you." The Woman grumbled and barked orders at another Bartender nearby. "If you need me, I'll be in the back. Keep an eye on things for me." Dalia gestured at both Rasteva and Sara and led them to a door just past the bar. Ushering them inside she led them through what appeared to be a store room and towards another door situated at the far wall. Dalia held this one open for the two of them as they stepped inside, and they paused to look around as Dalia locked the door around them. It was small and cozy, the room lit by a multitude of scented candles. There was no furniture, and instead cushions and pillows of various sizes littered the floor. Overhead a collection of orbs of different sizes and colors floated near the cieling, each one thrumming with power. Rasteva hummed softly, looking back at Dalia. "Your collection has grown since last I was here Lady Dalia." The woman shrugged, grinning at the other Daemon. "Yeah well you know how it is. Somebody falls behind on payments, I take a little bit of power from them. But I don't think you came here to talk about that, did you?" The other Daemon frowns, eyeing Sara carefully. "But before we start, can this one be trusted? I mean, OBVIOUSLY I'm not afraid of her or anything. But you know how Humans love to talk....." Rasteva snapped at the other Daemon, a wing settling over Sara's head in a protective manner. "If I did not trust her, would I have brought her here at all? You know how much I hate having my time wasted, Dalia." The purple haired woman raised a brow, violet eyes staring at Rasteva in a searching manner. "That's true I guess. Alright, I'll hear you out."

Dalia swaggered towards one of the cushions on the floor and flopped onto it, gesturing at a nearby cushion for Sara to sit on. "Okay you two, spill it. What do you want from me?"

The young woman nodded, pushing further back into the building. "Goodness, everyone is really packed in here," She commented, trying to gently make her way past Dameons and Humans alike. Luckily they seemed to be used to people pushing past, and they didn't get much backlash except for an occasional grunt. Sighing in relief as they arrived at their destination, Sara looked surprised how quickly Ratsteva took off. She had to hold back a giggle at the purple haired woman's description of Rasteva's current vessel. Watching the two interact was a bit refreshing for her.

The glare that Dalia gave her caused Sara to take a few steps back and hold her hands up in front of her. "W-Wait a second.." At her outburst, the young woman's gaze immediately turned to Rasteva. They had a significant other? She suddenly felt bed about keeping them from someone important. "I-I wasn't meaning to--" ...Hussy? The young woman's eyes widened. "But I'm not.." It didn't seem like either of them were listening to what she had to say, and were wrapped up in their conversation. The glares this woman sent at her had her wishing she could sink into the floor.

A bit hesitant, she followed where the woman was leading them, eyes scanning the walls. Why was she so critical of Sara? She hadn't even done anything to her knowledge to warrant such hostility..Glad for Rasteva's interjection, she sighed softly. Moving to sit on the cushion that Dailia had pointed to she took a seat. "We need some help in dealing with the group that has gained publicity recently. They call themselves The Purgers. I'm sure you might have heard of them after the recent incident?" Sara sighed. "We were looking for a way to deal with them, but not...hurting them to the point of no return, if that makes sense." She glanced towards Rasteva. "Does that sound about right?"

Dalia pursed her lips and stared at the glowing orbs floating above them. "The Purgers yeah, I've heard of them. They don't come around here though. At least they're not complete idiots." The Daemon kicked one leg over the other, a foot waving in the air idly. "Oh yeah I heard ALL about that! It was pretty funny if you ask me." Dalia grinned at Rasteva and Sara and letout a soft giggle. "I bet they didn't feel so tough during their ride to the Hospital." Rasteva shifted on Sara's shoulder, looking a tad uncomfortable. "Erm...Yes, I am sure they did not enjoy their well deserved beating. But we did not come here to laugh at the misfortunes of others." Dalia rolled her eyes, flopping back onto the large cushion she'd seated herself on. "You always were a downer Rasteva." The Raven stuck their beak up in the air haughtily, their tone not leaving room for any argument. "So you say. But I find such things to be a complete waste of time."

Dalia sighed and flapped a dismissive at the other Daemon before continuing. "Yeah. Okay so, we haven't had any problems with any Purgers around here. They're probably too afraid to come around here with so many Daemons in one place. We've mostly been okay, but a lot of the weaker Daemons are worried and are too afraid to go out alone." Dalia frowned, her brows furrowing. "It's been bad for business, you know? It's hard to get anything done in this town when everyone is looking over their shoulder every few seconds." The woman groaned and sat up, staring pointedly at Sara and Rasteva. "So then, it sounds like you two want to be vigilantes or whatever? That's real cute and all, but if you just run out there trying to solve everything, you're going to get your asses kicked." The purple haired woman affixed Rasteva with a particularly withering glare. "ESPECIALLY you. What the hell even happened to you?" Dalia gestured rapidly at the Raven and Rasteva found themselves shrinking back in embarrasment. "I was caught off guard...But not by the Purgers. It was someone else....." Dalia stopped to push a strand of hair out of her face, still frowning at Rasteva. "That is nowhere CLOSE to what I wanted to hear, but we're in the middle of something right now so I'll let it slide this time. But I want answers Rasteva, this is serious."

Dalia eyed the other Daemon critically, chewing at her bottom lip nervously. "Can you even project a form?" Rasteva huffed, their feathers ruffling indignantly. "Indeed I can! And it is a glorious form, I'll have you know!" Dalia arched a brow, a smirk playing at the corner of her lips. "Alright then big guy. Show me what you've got." Rasteva let out another indignant grumble and hopped down from Sara's shoulder to rest on the carpeted floor. They gave the Human girl a quick glance before foucsing on the task at hand. A plume of smoke erupted from the Raven's body and not long after a large Cobra sat coiled on the floor. Dalia cocked her head and gave the Cobra a once over before reaching over to pat its head gently. "You're even cuter than before! Look at you!" Rasteva let out a low growling his and lunged forward, sinking their fangs into Dalia's hand. "Hey! Cut that out! It's rude to just start biting people you know." The woman seemed rather nonplussed to have a laive Cobra hanging off of her and lifted her hand to raise the other Daemon to eye level. "Seriously, you're no fun at all Rasteva." The Cobra emtitted an irritable sound before releasing Dalia's hand and plopping back onto the floor. "I would not be this way if you didn't insist on insulting me at every turn, Dalia." The purpled haired Daemon giggled softly at Rasteva before picking them up to inspect their new form closely. "Oh hush. You love it and you love me. Now let's have a good look at you here....."

Dalia gave the armor that Rasteva wore an apprasing look and gave a hum of approval. "This is a pretty nice setup you've got here. It looks sturdy, but not at all restricting. I like the stitching on it too!" Rasteva flicked their tongue and wriggled impatiently in Dalia's hands before she set them down with a huff. "Yes, well any compliments that you might have should be directed to Sara, she was the one that made it for me." Dalia's eyes widened perceptibly and she cast a quick glance to the Human. "What. SERIOUSLY?" The woman resumed inspecting the Armor, glancing back up at Sara every few seconds. "Alright......I think I can help you two out....But I'm going to need a few things from you."

Rasteva sunk into the carpet, knowing fully where this was going.

"Okay so, this boutique downtown has the CUTEST dress in their window, but that shit's expensive and I can't afford it. Obviously that can NOT stand, and I refuse to be seen out here looking like I got my clothes out of a dumpster. So you-" Dalia points a finger at Sara, a grin on her face. "Are going to make me that dress! I have photos and everything, so it's all good. In exchange, I'll see about getting you some information on these Purgers, I have plently on connections in town and someone is sure to know something. After that we'll go from there. Deal?"

The mention that Dalia took a little pleasure out of the Purgers' trip to the hospital made the young woman frown slightly. Even if she didn't find it a waste of time for people to joke as they liked, they didn't have much of it to be spending arguing formalities. Glad to hear that they had not yet made their way to this side of town, she felt a small wave of relief wash over here. Vigilantes? No, they just wanted to find a way to help everyone, at least...that was the intention.

Sara couldn't help smiling and holding back a giggle at how proud Rasteva became of themselves. When they did, and Dalia's reaction wasn't one of awe, but laughter, Rasteva didn't take much care for it. For the most part, she had given up on really getting a word in, simply following the conversation was a little hard sometimes by how quickly it picked up in pace and immediately slowed. Hearing that she liked the armor Rasteva wore, she brushed some of the auburn hair back behind her ear and smiled sheepishly. Nodding, she glanced towards the armor, and Dalia, color rushing to her cheeks in embarrassment.

She needed something in return for their help. "Oh, okay. That sounds fair. I didn't think we would get your help for free." The young woman smiled. Hearing about the dress, she felt a little confused. She was on school at a scholarship, and while she had a small bit of allowance sent to her from her family, it wasn't near enough to buy something from a boutique..especially downtown. When Dalia pointed towards her, she raised her hands in defense. "I don't nearly have enough money to--" Her eyes widened. "Wh-What?! Make..a dress?" This would be a little different than sewing clothes for her stuffed animals. "Uhm...O-Okay, but...it can't be the exact same dress. That would be stealing their design..." Sara thought a moment. "I could make you a dress inspired by the one in the window, and that way you could have a one-of-a-kind outfit no one else will have and you'll still be paying a small nod to the one in the window. How does that sound?" Sara suggested.

"I'll just need the photos and an idea of what kind of fabric or colors you would like, or...hate. And, I'll need to take your measurements if you don't mind." She smiled.