"Just use your imagination...that's what dreams are." he would have said, leaving the message to linger a bit behind him.

His eyes widen some, with Dante being so close, flusterng him. "y-yes sir...Im sorry, I know I wasnt tested in this much , but you were injured and Jacob had just changed shifts with me...and I thought I could do it"

Dante smiled and said “it’s alright my brother…you did well. You helped her…” he flinched a little then said “next time don’t rush into things…makes me worried for you…”

Ash opened her eyes and saw them all there. “Hey boys…what’s shaking?”

Peter's eyes practically sparkle with admiration and happiness as Dante not only praised him, but also showed worry. He bows his head slightly, "Thank you, sir...perhas...I can recieve more training?" a pause, "though...im not sure how well i'd survive jacob's training.."

Chi hops down from Bane, landing by ash's side as she begins to stir awake. He meows loudly and bops her face with squishy cat paw.

Peter can't help a small chuckle.

Ash sat up slowly and pulled chi into her arms. “I’m sorry for causing such a bother in the morning…”

Bane frowned as Dante was saying “I believe you have a skill we need to work on here. I think it’s a great idea. Jacob’s was only that bad cause he was stubborn.”

Chi continues to play the good cat, purring as he is picked up. In fact, he grows out his fur to be longer and fluffier, making him almost a cat shaped puffball. but a huggable one at least.

Peter pauses and then smiles shyly, "No, I...understand him. He wants us to be strong...competant." He looks slightly more directly at Dante, though his admiration keeps him shy, "I get it more now, with us being attacked. It's just tough sometimes."

He thinks back to the times he had to read books on war philosophies, or get hunted down in a maze. "He's just strict" he finally chuckles soflty.

Ash smiled at Chi and rubbed her face in his fur. “I’m so glad you’re okay…” she said softly to him.

Dante nodded and said “I know you can handle anything in your path…your more then you think you are” he smiled at him and chuckled. “That is true…” he stood and rolled his arms. “Shall we go see what is happening around?”

Purr purr purr....Kitten chi hangs out a moment, and then squirms away, taking up a spot on the side of her bed, taking up a human form again. In fact, the same one that they had first met in. "..I'm about as hard to kill as your other friend," he smirks, gesturing towards Bane. "But I'm not sure I got hit all that bad anyways."

He shifts to looking thoughtful, "...yea, suose I could have gotten shrapnel, so it could have been worse."

"Yes, sir" Peter says, standing to follow Dante, though he did turn to Chi and grins, "Just be happy she was worried about you"

And with that, he makes sure to keep up with Dante, "Check around? Lady Astra?"

The lady in question, hugging onto the wolf, seemed to have been sleeping even deeper since. Finally, she stirs, but just enough to yawn and mumbles groggily, "soft..."

Ash looked at him then took a deep breath. "I'm sorry for last night. For snapping the way, I did. I was wrong. It was totally my fault"

Dante nodded and said "And I wanted to give those two a chance to talk alone...and not almost dying. I want you to stay with Lady Ash alright. You are her bodyguard now. Is that alright with you?"

Beta chuckled and licked her nose. "Thank you. I pride myself on my coat"

Chi pauses, the smile fading slightly as he remembers their argument. And then the attack, and how he had lost himself in the fight, but still felt the urge to protect her. And then back to Bane's words to him. His first response is just a small nod at first, the shift in place and speaks softly, "...I still don't understand what happened..."

Peter keeps following Dante, and nods. "Yes, my prince...I have been doing my best already, since I was never told the duty you gave me was over." he pauses, "...should I apply all of my training? ...she can sense and use shadow.."

Ash sighed and said “I got in my head. I always do if I can’t understand another person correctly…I’m not great at the emotional aspect of things. I can read a person like a book but that chapter…I suck at”

Dante nodded and said “yes it will be needed. Now, tell me of this nightmare of hers…”

"The emotional aspect.." the shifter repeats softly, looking away for a moment, before taking a deep breath, "I'll try to explain...but t's difficult. I was not saying that they lie to themselves, I'm saying that they lie to everyone. And, if you find one that has made a life for themselves...they will not accept you, unless you are also lying. My kind...we do not easily admit what we are to others. So we don't socialize." He looks at Bane thoughtfully, and then back towards her, "... we don't have community. We don't have a shared language, or culture that anyone can learn. Our culture is lying to everyone in order to survive. That...makes the world suspicious of us, and that makes us more afraid." He shakes his head, ".....I forgot where I'm going with this...i forgot why I even started..."

a long period of silence, "I guess...I just don't expect people to trust me. Not outsiders, because they don't trust someone who can be anyone. Nor my own kind, because they don't trust me until I pretend to be something else. So I don't make connections with people." a pause, "...um...I appreciate you saying that you would accept me for what I am. But accepting me doesn't change how my...people are."

Peter stands straighter, ready to give report. "It appeared to be her reliving trauma. She was in a burning house, screaming and afraid. There was also an old bot there. I managed to convince her that I was there to help, and gathered the situation. It appears that for some reason, a...god? wanted her dead, and people came to hunt her and her father down. She was told to hide while he went to go get help...but he was killed just downstairs. The scream was terrible. Apparently, at that point, she runs to him, only to find some pure white creature breaking open his chest...he sees her while he is being attacked, and says he loves her." he falls quiet, "...then she screams and everything goes black. I think...we can assume either she had passed out, or disassociated."

Astra scrunches her face at the lick, then chuckles and rolls over, sitting up groggily, "... and you are a comfortable...pillow." She says, offering weak humor.

Ash listened closely and then Bane said “much like your animal research. Some animals need to belong, others must be alone to truly survive. But you get that Ash”

Ash nodded and looked at her hands. “I get it…I think I do. You’re not one thing. You’re a being with many traits and functions but without a set task so no one knows what your true programming is?” Bane sighed and said “she has to relate it to what she knows. But I think she gets it. I don’t but she does”

Dante had stopped walking at his words. His eyes wide a moment. Then he spoke “a white being? Were there more details on this being?”

Beta sat up and wagged his tail. “I’m happy to be a pillow for you. How was your sleep?”

Chi nods to Bane, and looks back at Ash, clearly puzzling out how to explain his situation to her. His brow furrows even as he speaks, "imagine...you realize that a streetsweeper bot can re-arrange itself into anything. THen you become afriad that it will follow you home and replace your washing machine and kill you."

He shifts awkwardly, then looks to bane again, before gesturing, "...or...imagine that someone would be afraid of a werewolf pretending to be a dog, and then killing them. or even just stealing their wallet. Except I can be anything?"

Peter slows to a stop behind him, thinking, "White...dark red eyes that glowed...white irises.."

Astra looks over at Beta, surrised and raising an eyebrow at how hapy he seemed to be to be a pillow, but she also couldnt help the slight smile, "...refreshing...ly comfortable, thank you."

Ash nodded and said “I understand. Unknown programming…scares anyone…” she smiled at chi and said “but I know you aren’t going to kill me in my sleep. You protected me. That’s all that matters to me”

Dante cursed softly and ran his fingers thru his hair. “It can’t be that thing…but nothing else fits…”

Beta stuck his tongue out and nodded. “I’m happy to help. Can I come with you to breakfast?”

The shifter looks away with a slight blush, "....I guess." he turns and heads towards the door, "Come on, lets get breakfast before they pack away all the food."

Peter stands there, both confused and concerned, taking a half step closer, "sir...?"

Astra smiles and leans back, "I think we can feed you this time...we should be about to move though." she pauses, "...may I...pet you?"

Bane smiled and got up, followed the cat boy out as Ash went out as well and walked next to chi, blushing brightly. She said softly “thanks for giving me another chance…”

Dante was lost in his own thoughts then he said “it’s linked…it must be…that thing coming back after life times…it has to be the same…” he held his head, his eyes glowing out of sheer stress.

Beta said “I don’t need food. I just want to come with you. And yes, you may pet me. Thank you for asking”

He keeps walking towards the mess hall, though you can see that the guild is organizing itself into packing things away. It seems to have at least been practiced before. when they get into a long room with a long bench-table, it has a buffet style line up of scrambled eggs, eggy soup, chili, rolls, french toast, sausages, and roasted veggies. Theres also a small tank of vitamin water, a flavored drink that's meant to fill in most of a person's vitamin needs. The people who filter in are eating well, eating fast, and joining the process quickly.

Chi pauses awkwardly, just to the side of the door so as to not get in anyone's way. "...it...wasn't bad enough to let you die over...and I thought I would at least try again."

Concern rises in Peter's chest, and as he sees his admirable figure stress, he debates on if he should try to disrupt t. Dante was much stronger than he was and had better reflexes, possibly even as injured as he got. But finally, he decided to risk it and stepped up, speaking louder and more firm in his concern "my prince?"

Astra smiles softly, reaching out to take a moment to pet the shadow wolf on the head, "Well, alright. If you want to stick around after helping me, I won't say no." She stands and stretches a little bit, chasing the sleep out of her and then headed out. SHe got Jeb's note and hummed as she read it over on the way to the mess hall.

Ash smiled and said “still thank you…” Bane looked around and said “I need to find Astra…I offered the strong hold…” Ash looked at him and said “really? That should help. I should go to the shop…” Bane frowned and said “is that safe?” He glanced at Chi.

Dante blinked and heard Peter that time. He turned to look at him, his eyes glowing as he tried to pull himself back. “Sorry…I…” he grabbed the wall suddenly, flashes of his past hitting him hard.

Beta followed her out and walked against her leg. Then he stopped and sniffed. “Vampire stress. I smell it”

Chi looked up at Bane at first over the mention of a stronghold. He's not sure what that is about, but he does understand that help is being offered, so he gives a slight nod, "She should be up soon."

When ash talks about going to the shop, he looks at her with a frown, and then back at Bane. Sharing a look with the werewolf, he sighs and gives her a little nudge towards the breakfast table, "I'll go with, but not before breakfast." a pause, "I mean it."

Peter, growing more worried, rushes over the next few steps to try to support Dante.

Astra tenses and looks over at Beta, visibly hesitating but nods, "Im sorry to ask for your help again, would you take me to them?"

Ash blinked and said “guys I’m not staying. I just need to check in with my boys and pick up the orders I need to work on. And check on Spinner…oh dear I was supposed to finish her this week…” Bane led her to the food with Chi and said “we will work it out Ash. You need food”

Beta barked and went ahead to lead her. They found the vampires in the next hallway, Dante holding his face as Peter supported his shoulder. Dante was breathing heavy and saying “sorry my brother…just need to snap out of it…”