[IC] Friends in the Void.

[Ramjammer]

Rasteva let out an indignant squawk as Sara attempted to shove food into their mouth, wings flapping loudly. "Sara please I am fine. I don't need it." The girl was quite insistent and did not relent, prattling on about different types of foods and how good they were. The Daemon let out an internal sigh when the realized that Sara would not relent and finally took the tiny morsel of food. It WAS good, she had been right about that. But still the Daemon felt odd consuming actual food, they weren't even sure how eating worked at all and decided to explore the option at a later time.

Fluttering back onto Sara's shoulder they settled comfortably as she walked towards the campus. The Raven kept a sharp eye out, monitoring passing Humans and their Daemons. They were still unsure as to who could be trusted currently, and made no pains to interact with any Daemons that they happened to pass by. They were also keeping an eye out for Ethan and Betulri should either of them decide to reappear. The way remained clear and the two were greeted by an older Human. Rasteva cocked their head and gave her a critical look. She had known that they were a Daemon without seeming to have any prior knowledge of them coming. They readily chalked it up to the fact that it was not often that people walked through the door with a live Raven on their shoulder, but they committed her face to memory all the same. There was no point in growing lax, even around people that Sara knew personally.

The girl set to work almost immediately, and Rasteva directed their attention back to Sara. They eyed the materials she set in front of them, picking up a scrap of material in their beak. It was a little heavy, but pliable and the Daemon knew it would provide a bit of protection while not forsaking mobility. They hopped towards Sara and took a peek at her journal before bobbing their head. "The snake form is what we shall be working with. I hope you have brought enough materials." A cloud of smoke erupted from the Raven and quickly formed into a coiled snake on the table. From nose to tail Rasteva's form measured close to 8 feet, though Sara would be hard pressed to measure them as the Daemon immediately slithered off the table and onto the floor to have a better look around the room.

[knuxieh]

The young woman couldn't help immediately laughing as they quickly removed themselves from the table. "Hey, hey! I need your measurements first before you start exploring!" She bent down, careful not to step on them and held her arm out, waiting for Rasteva to coil around her extended limb before setting them back down onto the table. "I promise it won't even take that long to get your measurements." Turning to pull out the drawer in a small area with her name labeled on top, she emerged with a bright blue tape measure, and looked at it for a moment, then back to Rasteva. She would need a longer piece of tape... Setting the blue tape down, she moved to the back of the workshop, coming back with a gray tape, coiled around itself many times over. It helped that they would also need to craft things for the drama club that this school also housed, and needed to create a variety of different objects and clothing. Leaning over the table, she got her measurements of their length, and their complete width from their neck, all the way down to their tail, just in case. Helping them back down to the floor with a little effort, she turned towards the spool of cloth, patting it rather confidently at their comment.

"We've got the whole department at our fingertips. And if all else fails, well...there's always the fabric shop." Grinning, she began getting to work. Initially sketching out a design as she watched Rasteva slither about the room to get at a feel of his movements, the young woman drew up quite a few concept sketches, until getting one she seemed satisfied with. Looking at her design, and the leather on hand, she knew it would take her a few days to properly complete it with fittings in between. Grabbing some blank pattern sheets, she began drawing out her pattern so she could begin cutting and getting the leather cut. Her process itself so far had already taken nearly three hours. She was a slow worker, but thorough. Thinking about not wanting to slow down their movements she knew she couldn't put the leather armor in the front, at least with the lower end of their snake form without hindering them. If they would need to cover from any damage, coiling up would be their best option as it was. Getting the leather all cut out and smoothed, she turned to Rasteva. "Did you want this painted or anything like that?" She asked, standing to yawn.

She had been sitting about for a few hours as it was, and her stomach growled as if to remind her she had to attend to her own care. "C'mon Rasteva, it's nearly six thirty in the evening." She expected for them to return back to their Raven, waving towards the older woman as Sara began to gather her leather pieces, putting them into her bin to protect them from dust and all that. As she was turning to leave, Ms. Dianne spoke up.

"I'll be here tomorrow as well if you like m'dear. I know you've got to get that project finished for your friend there. After noon, I'll be in here until late evening."

Smiling, she thanked her and headed out of the room. "So, I think we got a pretty decent amount done. I wasn't able to put any of the fasteners in place just yet, and I'll opt to have some stretchy bind material to go across your front. You'll be covered from the back, so if you need to block something, you can probably just coil up." Sara gave another yawn, turning her attention towards her companion. "So, what did you think of the food earlier, pretty good, right?" It didn't take her long to get through the relatively empty hallways, and opening the door to the outside, the cool evening air greeting the pair. "Let's..hm...I think we'll go to a different place that isn't the cafe. You might be tired of going over there. Besides, there is always more to see of this little city." She smiled, heading in the opposite direction of her dorm. It took about twenty minutes to arrive, most places being within half an hour walking distance from the university. Arriving, the pair were welcomed in, and sitting outside to enjoy the cool air, she looked to Rasteva. "I think you'll really like this bread bowl thing. They like, put soups or stews inside of thick hearty bread and you can eat the bowl afterwards. It soaks up all the flavor you would have otherwise lost! It's pictured right here. I'll order it for you and you can eat it at your leisure. If you don't like it, you can look at the other dishes pictures and pick one that tickles your eye at bit more, okay?"

As the waitress approached them, she ordered a hearty stew with a side of broccoli and halved potatoes, wanting to order her bread separately to dip into the stew after she was done to soak up the juices, ordering the same soup she had, just as a bread bowl for Rasteva. She ordered a small bowl of water for Rasteva, unsure if they would really enjoy the taste of drinks...and ordered a juice for herself as she usually did. Once their food arrived, she happily dug in, thanking the waitress. The stew was warm and filled her to the core. Delightful 'mmms' made their way from her as she made her way through it, not forgetting to put the bread into the dish after, letting it soak up the juices as she ate her steamed vegetables. As she waited, she looked to Rasteva, taking a drink. "So, how is it?" She grinned.

[Ramjammer]

Rasteva stayed dutifully still as Sara measured their current form, thought that wasn't nearly as exciting as the prospect of exploring the room they were in. The shelves were lined with many different fabrics and materials and Rasteva wanted to have a closer look at them along with all the strange tools Humans used to put them together. Once Sara had taken their measurements and set them back onto the floor, the Cobra began to dart all around the room while she worked. Their eyes surveyed everything with interest and soon enough they were climbing onto tables and shelves. They would slither back to Sara from time to time and watch her work. Her focus was intent, and her fingers worked deftly across the materials she had gathered. Stitch by stitch the garment came together, and Rasteva was one small step closer to being able to take part in a battle.

It was some hours later before Sara called out to them, needing the Daemon's input on the garment that she'd made. The Cobra poked their head out of a bin of fabrics they coiled up in and slithered over to the Human. Once they'd pulled themselves up onto the table, the Daemon peered intently at the garment Sara had made. It was finely made, though the Daemon was not surprised by that in the slightest. Staring down at it for a moment, they looked back up at Sara and flicked their tongue. "No, I don't require anything else. I am not overly fond of flashy colors." Sara's prompting that they leave was all that remained and the Daemon retreated into the False Raven before perching on the Girl's shoulder. The Older Human from before bid them farewell and Rasteva could not help giving her a suspicious glance as they left. Sara seemed to be quite fond of her and so the Daemon did not speak out, but they still found her to be odd.

Sara's idle chatter filled the cold air, and the Raven eyed her intently as she discussed the final details of the garment. "Very well then. I will defer judgment to you, Sara. I must thank you for putting forth such time and effort for my sake." The Raven cocked their head at the girl's next question, not sure what it entailed. "Well yes it was good I will admit. But I've never eaten before, I can't say I know what BAD food tastes like." The Raven chortled loudly from Sara's shoulder as she led them through the city. They glanced about with interest, watching Humans and the occasional Daemon go about their business. Everyone seemed to be content with the state of their lives, and Rasteva wondered if they might ever say the same. The Daemon pushed the negative thoughts down for the time being. They had Sara, and she seemed to like them well enough to keep their company. That in and of itself was a good thing, wasn't it? She had ducked into another building, this one filled with people eating. The Daemon recalled Sara mentioning that she was hungry and surmised that this place was where she'd chosen to eat. The Raven perched themselves on the table and picked up a piece of silverware in their beak. The metallic weight was almost like holding a real weapon again and the Daemon enjoyed it a bit. They marched up and down the length of the table as Sara ordered for them, only giving the menu a cursory glance. Rasteva was only convinced to put the silverware down once their food had arrived and they instead inspected the bowl of stew Sara had ordered for them. "Sara I do appreciate your kindness but you know that I do not eat.....This seems like a waste of your money. It could be spent on less trivial things." They knew that Sara was only being kind, as was the case with her. They knew that Human's enjoyed the act of eating beyond just needing too and eating with a friend was considered a popular activity, and so they surmised that this was an attempt to bond with them on some level.

The Raven pecked idly at some vegetables in the stew. They were quite good, and the bread was even better. But the Daemon was having difficulty tearing off pieces to eat. They hopped over to Sara and looked up at her with beady eyes. "Would you mind helping me with this?"

[knuxieh]

The young woman didn't pay Rateva much mind when they tried to sway her into getting a refund of the money she was going to spend, but did in fact find it quite humorous watching them play around with the utensils until their food arrived. Tilting her head as they moved into her bubble, she laughed. "Oh right! Of course, no problem. One second." She pushed her food aside for the moment, and retrieved the bread bowl, taking the knife and fork before carefully cutting the pieces to a more manageable size for Rasteva to be able to grab at and ingest. "There. Sorry about that, I should have remembered to ask for the waitress to have them prepare the pieces to be smaller. It was an oversight on my end." She apologized, moving the bowl back to its prior place, continuing to eat her own meal once Rasteva was taken care of.

Once finished, she groaned, stretching upwards in content. She wasn't sure if she could eat much more, when the waitress offered dessert. Nodding excitedly, she ordered a simple few scoops of vanilla ice cream with a few honey graham crackers. She went through it easily enough, not offering the cold item to Rasteva, unsure how extreme cold would sit on their tongue. They were more than free to take some though, and she did scoot a broken up graham cracker towards them just in case they weren't' already full from their meal. Upon scooping the last of the vanilla dessert, she yawned, looking satisfied. "Alright, alright. I think I should head home before I fall asleep at the table." She laughed, but was so very serious. 'The Itis' waits for no one!

Getting Rasteva onto her shoulder after she paid and left a tip, she made her way back to the house much slower than her journey to get here, feet heavy with the promise of rest soon. "Sometimes, I think I should really bring my car down here. It might make things like this easier. Not that I'm complaining about the nice views, but I would be able to get home quicker to sleep." Giggling, the pair did arrive home, and putting Rasteva down onto her desk, she moved to shower for the evening, and get her dorm all set up for sleeping. Returning back in her pajamas, she stretched again and sat down on her bed, looking towards the Daemon curiously. "Hey, when you start getting more power back, will it become too much for your current form to hold? Will we need to get you additional forms? Maybe it might be like wearing a different outfit or something." She grinned, quite enjoying the idea of Rasteva getting a 'wardrobe' of sorts. Though they didn't really seem to be very needy or particular with visual concepts, she still liked that they had options either way.

Laying back, she drew the sheets up and dozed off for the evening.

--- Morning ---

She had in fact set an alarm this morning, not wanting to keep Ms. Dianne waiting too long on her. She was able to get a lot done on Rasteva's armor the other day, and should be able to finish it by late evening. Glancing at her clock, the time was 11:30AM. "Awesome. I can grab a bite to eat and then head over." Sara moved towards her kitchen, and instead of her usual pizza, opted to just make herself a couple of sandwiches, popping in a piece of bread in the toaster for Rasteva. Once it was ready, she pulled it out, and cut it into six smaller pieces, sitting on a chair nearby and watching them with curious eyes. "Did you know you can put different spreads onto toast? It's pretty cool. I don't know if you wanted to just have it plain or try any spreads." She grinned, pulling out the two that she had. There was blackberry jelly, and a grapefruit spread. If they had opted to try one, she put a small amount on a piece, not wanting it to overtake the bread.

Cleaning up the jars, she moved to the living room to watch the news, since she had time before she needed to head to school. A man on the screen looked rather concerned, and she bit into her second sandwich, curious.

'Local News Today: More sights of aggressive unofficial Daemon Fighting. Yesterday afternoon, a young man on his way home from class was ambushed by a group calling themselves 'Purgers', and nearly lost his Daemon after this exchange. We don't yet know why they keep targeting individuals, but we ask everyone to be alert, and to report any and all suspicious activity. We urge all young people to keep their Daemons close, and to take precautions to help defend yourself if you are indeed approached by one of these individuals. We'll have more updates throughout the day.'

Passing a concerned look to Rasteva, she frowned. "It doesn't sound like people are wanting to go through the process to gain power for their Daemons.." Sighing, she finished off her breakfast, dusting her hands off. "I know it's a little odd to ask, but can you try to be a little more observant today? We still haven't finished your protection and I'd hate to have to engage anyone from that group until we at least have you armored.." Rubbing her arm, she was now more hesitant to leave her dorm. Maybe she should have just brought what she had back here? No, that didn't make any sense. All the fabric was in the workshop. Groaning softly, she stood up and changed into comfortable clothes. "I guess...I can't just sit here. Let's go." Resolving herself to leave, she made her way to the school, a few people seeming to watch everyone who was walking up the school. It wasn't a secret most of the student body had a Daemon, and she made it to the workshop. Waving to Ms. Dianne, she began to get to work.

[Ramjammer]

Rasteva thanked Sara as she cut the bread down into more manageable pieces for them. They paused and cocked their head, staring up at the girl quizzically. "Sara, you don't need to apologize so often. Least of all to ME, it's alright." The Raven resumed pecking at their bread once they were sure that Sara had been reassured. She apologized often and it was troublesome to a small degree. While they trusted Sara's good intentions and kindness, she was lacking in confidence. Rasteva wondered how they might help her gain more, she'd need it if they wanted to compete with other Humans and Daemons.

Once dinner was well and over with, they returned to Sara's home. Even though she was tired, she was in a far better mood than she was the day before. Rasteva flapped around the small apartment as she settled in for bed, though her question did perk their interest. "A new form? Well, I cannot say, I've only ever projected a body of my own design and used that. I've never had a vessel before." The Daemon looked around Sara's room, taking note of the collection of stuffed toys and accessories. She was certainly fond of them, and her interests stretched far beyond what was only functional. Rasteva looked back at the girl and tilted their head. "However, if you'd like we can find a vessel for myself of your own choosing. I never did ask you what kind of Daemon you'd prefer to be seen with." It was not much to make up for what she'd done for them, but it was a start. While Rasteva was comfortable in the vessel they had, they felt that Sara should still pick something she liked. It wasn't as if she could carry a talking Raven around everywhere anyhow. Rasteva settled down comfortably at the foot of the bed as Sara slept, letting their mind wander as they often did.

When morning came Rasteva settled themselves right back in front of the TV and watched the local news. They had no idea what Stocks were or how they even worked, but Humans didn't seem to know either as evidenced by a man in a tie sweating profusely on the screen. "It's a wonder this species even got as far as it did, I simply don't understand." The Raven pulled themselves from the screen just as Sara finished making breakfast. She offered them several small pieces of bread and indicated two jars containing a strange substance. Rasteva read the labels on the jars, not sure what they meant. After deciding that 'Blackberry' sounded less offensive than 'Grapefruit' they watched as Sara spread some of the substance on the bread. It was very sweet and sticky, and Rasteva took special care to not get any on their feathers while they ate. They followed Sara into the other room, holding a piece of toast in their beak. She was looking at the screen with concern and so they turned to listen as well. "Purgers? What is this nonsense?" They watched the news in silence, the man's report filling the Daemon with dread. "As if I didn't have enough to worry about..." Sara's suggestion that they remain vigilant as they traveled was met with agreement. "Yes, you are right. These fools sound dangerous, and I'd hate for any of them to get the jump on us." Rasteva decided to fly overhead as Sara walked to the Campus. They weren't alone as several other Daemons had the same idea. A Cardinal fluttered close to Rasteva, chattering loudly. "Are you looking out for those 'Purgers'? Me too! I'm keeping an eye on my Human so she stays safe! Yep! Nothing gets past me. If she so much as screams I'll be all on them, and they won't even know what happened-Hey! Where are you going?" Rasteva could only handle so much noise and swooped down to perch on Sara's shoulder. Fortunately, they had reached their destination and the Raven let out a sigh of relief as they entered the workshop. "There is a reason I never bothered to socialize with other Daemons too often."

[knuxieh]

Sara glanced up to Rasteva as she grabbed the pieces of fabric from yesterday and began work on them again, the rhythmic drumming of the needle making quick work of it. "They're this group that has been popping up every now and again..they weren't so headline news until recently. Just, y'know...People always want to find a way around the rules and regulations. That's pretty much who they are. But, everyone really didn't pay much mind to it. It's expected behavior. But, they've gained more of a following, since people aren't very patient with the frequency of the official matches and battle systems..So, they're more aggressive than they used to be." Sighing softly, she bit her bottom lip gently. "They've been more careless about who they target. So, we should really try not to engage with people." Hearing about their hesitancy to talk with other Daemons, she raised an eyebrow.

Since they were up high talking with the rather chatty Daemon, she didn't hear any of their conversation. "Oh c'mon Rasteva, don't be like that. Others are just more talkative than yourself. I'm not surprised if others want to talk to you. It's like spreading information in a sense if you think about it." She tried reasoning with them. "You might actually want to listen sometimes. They might have information you've yet to gain, or even tips or skills to be aware of."

Smiling to herself and figuring that she had said enough as far as trying to convince them to listen to their own kind, she turned her attention back towards the garment in question. It took her another hour to finish up the sewing, and did a small cheer when that part was over. Standing, she stretched and moved to get small fasteners to attach the peices together, along with stretch material. Sitting back down she pushed the pins into place, making sure they were secured, and checking the measurements she had taken of Rasteva before, hand sewed the stretch material into the leather lining. Once done, she called them over, and after they had changed inot their snake form, she slipped the armor onto their body, taking the larger peice around their larger portion near their head and fastening it with a few buckles. "There, all finished. What do you think? Go ahead and give it a test run. Let me know if anything needs tightening or to be loosensed for the elastic straps." The young woman seemed rather proud of herself getting the armor done for Rasteva, and waited eagerly to see what they thought of it.

[Ramjammer]

The woman's words filled the Daemon with concern. It should have come as no surprise that some people simply had no desire to follow the laws set out. In all honesty, it would have been surprising to hear that people WEREN'T going about gaining power in an illegal manner. It was par the course for Humanity after all. For every honest person, there were ten liars. Rasteva looked down at Sara pointedly as she worked. She seemed no more interested in having a confrontation with these people than Rasteva was and they thought back to what the Cardinal had been saying earlier. They had proclaimed(quite loudly) that they'd protect their Human if it was required of them. They had even seemed glad to do so. Rasteva wondered if they might ever be so confident again. They couldn't even protect themselves, much less Sara. While the girl assured them that she'd remain careful while they were out and about, there could be no guarantees on the matter. Anything could happen and Rasteva was not sure if either of them were ready for such a conflict.

They resumed watching the girl work, all the while muttering under their breath as Sara lectured them. Rasteva was not really all that interested in shooting the breeze with a chatterbox Daemon or any chatterbox Daemons for that matter. She was right of course, there were many that Rasteva could learn from and they all possessed in some form of the information they needed. But things were so different from how they'd previously been. Before speaking to others had been a pleasure, not a necessity. The Daemon tried to express themselves to Sara and hoped that they came across clearly. "I understand what you are saying Sarah, but this is different...Everything is so different now. Before it wasn't like this. Before I did not concern myself with Humans or really anyone for that matter." They weren't trying to be rude but feared that they may have come across that way. They hadn't been lying however, Rasteva could not recall a time when they'd spent such a long time in so close proximity to a Human. It was new and confusing, and more than a little frustrating. They weren't even sure how so many of their kind had managed to stand it all.

Or why they had first decided to at all.

Shaking off their internal conversation for another time, they inspected the armor that Sara had just completed. She seemed proud of her work and the Daemon felt that it was well deserved. The fact that she'd managed to complete it in only two short days was remarkable, and Rasteva readily complied when she asked that they'd shift forms so that she could put it on them. The leather fit snugly against their scales, and the weight was noticeable. But none of these things were such that Rasteva could not move, or be hindered in any way. The Cobra slithered off of the table and onto the floor. They zipped around the room excitedly, and for a moment Rasteva felt like themselves again. The slithered back towards Sara gazing up at her. "Sara....Words cannot express my gratitude right now. I thank you. Deeply and truly."

[knuxieh]

Her eyes watched Rasteva carefully as they began moving about in the armor she had made. It wasn't very complicated to make, since it was just overlays of the same pattern, but it was still something. She wondered if she should have loosened the straps a bit more, but looked rather surprised as they began darting about in their newly crafted gear. Hearing that they did in fact enjoy it, she grinned. "Of course, of course! Don't mention it! I'm glad I could help, honestly." She really was glad that they enjoyed her work, even it if was rather plain. They hadn't had much as far as the way of positive experiences, and Sara was glad they were taking steps, even if small ones, towards working better as partners together.

Once they had shifted back, she took care to handle the armor. Waiting until they were back in their raven form, she hummed a small tune as the made her way back through the school, her eyes casting towards Rasteva on her shoulder. "Did you want to check out anywhere in particular on campus now that we have the armor taken care of?" There was still much about her Daemon that she didn't know, so maybe asking about their interests would help open all kinds of conversation possibilities. Stopping at a picture that had the word 'DIRECTORY' printed at the top, she motioned towards the map that held a layout of both this particular building - which held the Arts department, so music, fashion, drama and theater arts were all held here. Other buildings housed the mathematics department, sciences, and all other various programs. In the center was connected to their library, and behind that was the cafeteria.

[Ramjammer]

Sara's suggestion that they explore more of the Campus was met enthusiastically by Rasteva. "Can we? I must say that I've been wanting to explore the area for a while, but I did not want to impede your work." The Raven sidled down the girl's arm to better read the school's directory and the Daemon looked at the map with bright black eyes before pecking at one of the words listed on it. "Here. The Library, I want to go there." Rasteva hopped back onto Sara's shoulder and looked about the halls as she carried them to the Library. They watched the Halls carefully, never forgetting what they had seen on the TV earlier that day. Many Humans and Daemons seemed as cautious as they did and made no effort to impede either them or Sara. Rasteva found this to be somewhat reassuring. Everyone was on the lookout for anything remotely suspicious and certainly didn't want to draw unnecessary attention to themselves.

The Library was as large as Rasteva expected it to be, filled with shelves of books from floor to ceiling. Several people could be seen going about their business. The Daemon immediately spread their wings and took off over the shelves. They felt uncharacteristically giddy for some reason, no doubt a result of Sara's recent accomplishment. Rasteva felt as if they'd managed to overcome a large hurdle with her help. And even though she may have felt that she did nothing at all, it meant the world and more to the Daemon.

The Raven flapped their way towards the Science section of the Library and settled on a shelf filled with Physics textbooks. They looked down pointedly at Sara who was trailing behind and called out to her softly. "These here. Can you help me get a book on Physics please?"

[knuxieh]

Sara giggled towards Rasteva's behavior towards exploring the campus. She was glad that they showed a small interest in wanting to see more of the school she attended. Watching as they had chosen the library to go, she grinned. "A college staple, very interesting choice." Her eyes noticed other classmates looking a little weary in the halls, no doubt on edge about the news this morning. She couldn't blame them though, it seemed liked the attacks could just come out of nowhere and anyone could get caught in the crossfire if they weren't careful..

Her hand pushed the dark oak doors to the library open, the humble door revealing a large library, walls lined with bookshelves. Books of varying topics laid inside, and there were already students inside, some casually reading some of the comics that were provided, others in study room groups. Noticing the slight bouncing on her shoulder that Rasteva did as they made their way inside, she couldn't help giggling to herself as they took off once they had cleared the doorway. "Goodness." She knew that they would get her attention when they had found something that piqued their interest. It didn't take them long, though. Moving towards the bookshelf, she looked up to where the book was kept and grinned. "Physics, hm? Interesting, choice. Mind me asking why this one?" Moving up to retrieve the book they had requested, she got down and moved to an area and sat down with the book, opening it to the table of contents for them to pick a section that they wanted to start on. Once they had, she opened it up to the designated page, and watched them for a time, before moving to get her own book to read. Physics was interesting, but she could only digest so much of it at a time before she got overwhelmed.

She decided to follow a similar suit to the person they had seen on their way in, and went to browse the comic area. Something not heavy on words would be great for her at the moment, especially after all the reading up she had to do for Rasteva's armor. Browsing the titles, she settled on a series, picking up a few to check out and take home with her, before a loud commotion was heard a few shelves over. More than a few students had rushed out of the library, and even less had actually went to see what happened. One of the smaller bookshelves had been pushed over, and was barely being held up by a bright blue figure of a small gorilla. A man was under the bookshelf, and would have been seriously injured if their Daemon hadn't stepped in. She moved over and with the help of a few students, pushed the bookshelf back into its upright position. "Are...Are you alright? What happened?" She kneeled down, and began gathering up the books that had fallen. The young man nodded, a little shaken up, and a bit bruised from the flood of books that had rained down upon him. "I'm...fine. Just...one of those jerks from the news."

[Ramjammer]

Rasteva hopped onto the table excitedly as Sara pulled the indicated book from the shelf, looking up to answer her question. "Ah, I do enjoy learning about the world around me. Specifically how it works, what it does, what it CAN do." The Raven turned their eyes back to the book, tapping at a particular chapter with their beak and indicating that they would like for Sar to turn to that particular section. "I do enjoy reading a great deal and I used to travel quite often as well. Wherever there was knowledge to be had, I would be found there." The Daemon eyed the lines of text with interest, hopping side to side as they scanned the book's pages. This was one of Rasteva's many interests. They were not content to simply exist in the world, they wanted an understanding of how they were able to do so at all. Daemons were not like the other creatures found here. And their own world was as much of an enigma as they were. It was for this reason that Rasteva wanted to better understand how two completely different realms were even able to interact. The Daemon paused their reading, looking up at Sara. "I have long wondered over the physical properties of your world. Where I come from we do not have standard Laws of Physics, it is most interesting." The Raven resumed scanning the book's pages, becoming fully engrossed in the words written down. Every so often they would pause and ask Sara to turn the page, but it was apparent that the book did not interest her as much as it did the Daemon. They heard her getting up to leave a little while later, more than likely off to find a book that would hold her attention as much as the Physics book did Rasteva. They couldn't blame her really, this was nothing more than a standard textbook. Only Humans devoted solely to the subject would find any use of it. It was certainly not printed for casual reading.

Rasteva had to settle for turning the pages themselves while Sara was gone. It was difficult at first. They could only grasp hold of the pages to turn over with their beak, all the while taking care to not rip any of them. After several more, they began getting the hang of it. The Daemon could not help but feel a small sense of pride at their accomplishment. Despite all that had happened, they were still finding ways to be self-sufficient even if it was in small ways. Every step that they could take by themselves was a step that Sara would not be required to spend helping them. A sudden crash and a scream drew the Raven's attention and their head snapped up. Students and Faculty alike were rushing out of the Library, though a few stayed to see what the commotion was all about. Rasteva felt a sudden sense of panic and quickly flew towards the crowd, hoping to spot Sara in the chaos.

They found her not far from the scene, helping another student out from a pile of books on the floor. He seemed none the worse for the wear, but some of it may have been in no small part of the Gorilla Daemon holding up the large shelf. Rasteva perched on Sara's shoulder and eyed the man carefully. His words caught the Daemon's interest and they could not help but question him. "I beg your pardon Sir, but what did these people look like? Did they have Daemons as well?"

[knuxieh]

Feeling feet on her shoulder, her eyes cast towards Rasteva for a brief moment before returning to the young man in front of her. "Can we even call them that? 'People'? People don't act like that. They don't try pushing a bookshelf on others!" Frowning, he calmed himself for a brief moment before giving his Daemon a quick embrace, thanking them for helping. "They're pretty hard to miss most times, unless they've pressured other students into doing their dirty work..They usually sport a black t-shirt and jeans. They stick out, but not by their clothes. You'd be hard-pressed to find them normally." He sighed. "I don't even know what I even did to catch their attention.." Looking towards his Daemon, he groaned. "It might just be because of the strength my Daemon has. Granted, we haven't done too many fights, they're just naturally inclined that way." The description wouldn't help too much, as far as trying to catch who did it...but they would be in numbers, hopefully.

After making sure a faculty member was taking the boy to the nurse's office, some other students got the books back onto the shelves. Grabbing the ones she was interested in again, she made her way back towards the table from before, sitting down. "Sorry for the disturbance." She rubbed the back of her neck. "This just has me more on edge. Who pushes a bookshelf on someone? Were they even targeting a specific person, or just a group hoping to catch the slowest one, like in the wild?" Sara asked, looking worried at the table, since Rasteva was on her shoulder. "I don't even know what advice to give you if we are attacked, Rasteva. We can't really fight very well...you might do best to try to head off or something."

She wasn't really thinking clearly, her brain still in a slight panic over the events that transpired. Rasteva certainly wasn't naturally strong - but...they did like to gain knowledge. Maybe they could try just learning about this group? Would it matter? Should she ask Rasteva to look over most situations that caused for people to suffer at the hands of the Purgers? Would that help them try to avoid, or even help discourage the attacks if they could even have an idea of what to look for? Running a hand through her hair, she gave a heavy sigh. "Do you think it feasible to gather intel on their attacks? Everything has some sort of pattern, right?"

[Ramjammer]

Rasteva listened to the man intently from their perch on Sara's shoulder. He didn't seem to hold the ones calling themselves 'Purgers' in any higher regard than anyone else they'd seen. Though that was hardly surprising, they HAD tried to crush him after all. The Raven's eyes darted around, attempting to spot anyone fitting the man's description. If there were any among them that fit the bill, it was as he had said, hard to tell. Everyone looked just as frazzled as the next person and there was truly no way to tell friend from foe. Rasteva gave the man a short word of thanks before he was led away by one of the faculty to get his injuries looked over. "This is most distressing Sara. We don't even now what these people look like. An attack like this can come from any direction and we'd never know until it was too late." The Daemon perched on the shelf and continued speaking as Sara and several other people set to work placing the books back where they belonged. "We should leave. There's no reason to stay here if it only means we're placing ourselves in direct danger."

The Raven fluttered back onto Sara's shoulder and cocked their head, her suggestion catching them a bit off guard. "Well yes I could very well do as you say and go off on my own, but then what would happen to you? And in all honesty, I cannot say I'd be any better off without you Sara. If we stay together, one of us may at least be able to run and get help if something goes wrong." The Daemon nodded, positive that their suggestion was sound. Apart the two of them were nothing but open targets. Together they had a better chance of surviving an encounter with the Purgers.

The woman's next suggestion held a great deal of merit and Rasteva found themselves agreeing to it wholeheartedly. "Yes, you are absolutely correct Sara. The sooner we can compile information on these people, the sooner we will be better equipped to deal with them." The Raven hopped down onto the table and tugged at Sara's shirt sleeve impatiently. "Come. Come, we must hurry home and away from prying eyes and ears. We have much work to do."

[knuxieh]

Sara wasn't fully sure herself if anywhere was safe at this point. Would it really matter where they talked? Giving her cheeks a couple of re-assuring pats, she sighed softly. Rasteva was very much right on how they were better as a unit. A good point being the incident that had just happened. What if that boy's daemon hadn't been there to catch the heavy bookcase? She wasn't sure that it was something she really wanted to think about. Looking a little surprised that they agreed to study the Purgers and their behaviors, she couldn't help giggling softly as they tugged at her sleeve. "I'm getting up, I'm getting up." She shook her head, gathering the books she had, and the one on Physics for Rasteva, just in case they wanted to continue their readings.

The walk home was more tense than she realized. Many of the people walking were still uptight from the library incident, and easily startled by normal noises. The panic was evident, and she did her best not to set off anyone on purpose, making her way into the elevator, leaning against the wall of it as the doors closed. "They certainly make an impact, that's for sure..." Sara huffed, and tense slightly as the elevator stopped a floor short, indicating someone was getting on. A young woman entered, with a small snake wrapped around her arm.

Passing a glance over Sara and pausing to settle on Rasteva, she smiled. "Nice bird vessel."

"Thanks, your snake looks pretty cool."

Awkward. Her floor dinged and she removed herself as politely, but as quickly as she could. Closing the door behind her, she groaned as her fingers turned the locking mechanism on her door. "Alright, Rasteva. The internet has multiple videos on their attacks, and I'm sure we aren't the first ones to try to figure what their motives are." Sitting at her computer, she booted it up and began a quick search of attacks, showing Rasteva what she meant, as many people had made reaction videos, explaining their own theories on how they believed the group worked. Some of it would be the same repetitive nonsense they had seen before, but others offered new insights on the attacks as well. How much research would they need to do? They were a pretty recent problem, but everyone was giving them attention.

[Ramjammer]

Just as they did that morning, Rasteva flew overhead and surveyed the area. The air was remarkably tense, Human and Daemon alike eyeing everyone critically. An attack heard about on the news was one thing, but it was an entirely different to witness it first hand. The Raven swooped back towards the ground and landed on Sara's shoulder as she entered the building where they lived. She was just as tense as everyone else, and the Daemon couldn't blame her. The Raven shuffled close and draped one of their wings over Sara's head in an attempt to comfort her. Rasteva wasn't even sure if they were going about it the right way, but they were determined to try. Sara had done so much for them since they'd first met and they wanted to repay her kindness as best they were able. Rasteva's musings were cut off when another Human entered the small space of the Elevator they were in. A Snake Daemon was wrapped around her wrist and Rasteva gave the two of them a critical glare. She seemed pleasant and even went so far as to compliment Rasteva's vessel, but they were taking no chances. Sara seemed to be in agreement as she hurried out of the elevator as soon as she was able.

Rasteva relaxed noticeably once they were back in the apartment and seemingly out of danger. They had not expected the day to become as stressful as it had and they felt an odd sort of fatigue settle over them. Shaking it off quickly the Daemon perched on Sara's shoulder as she pulled up all the information that she could find on the Purgers. It seemed that everyone was an expert on the issue and sorting those that had some idea of what they were talking about from those that didn't was a painstaking task. Rasteva watched the screen with interest, head cocked to the side. The Purgers were certainly bold. They attacked even in broad daylight and were somewhat erratic in their movements. Rasteva hummed softly to themselves, turning to look at Sara. "Is there anywhere that says what kinds of Daemons they use, if any at all? Despite everything they seem to have a clear motive." Rasteva turned back to the computer screen, regarding it with interest. "I do not think they like Daemons very much. I have heard nothing yet about them stealing the power of whoever they assault. Only that they injure and attempt to forcibly disperse whatever Daemons they come across. All the better if their Human partner is caught in the crossfire."

It wasn't really a stretch all things considered. Humans tended to fear things they didn't understand. It wasn't surprising in the slightest that a group of them would hold a strong dislike of Daemons. Humans barely tolerated each other, Rasteva was more than positive that more than a few of them viewed Daemons with no small amount of distrust. "It certainly makes sense given the context of what we know. But I do not understand how this all came to be. Humans tend to be very...vocal about things they don't like."

[knuxieh]

The attempt didn't go unnoticed by Sara, although she didn't really know what to make of the feathers against her hair. As they dug deeper into their research, she sighed, leaning back. Rasteva asked an interesting question, though. If she really stopped for a moment to think about it the news never did say anything about them having Daemons of their own...Frowning, she shook her head. "No, not now that you mention it, they actually don't." The clear motive confused her, and her brows furrowed towards the raven on her shoulder. Thankfully they soon enough explained the reasoning for their stance on what they had researched, and she thought a moment, before nodding. "This is true..But it's also so weird. Most people embrace the Daemons. Well, at least those who it targets anyway. I can't imagine why they think violence is the..." The young woman paused, seeming to come to her own conclusion.

Pinching her nose with her fingers, she groaned. "Ahhh! If they..instill a fear of Daemons in people I can't imagine it would be a good thing. Knowing how people have reacted to being scared in the past, they might actually pit Daemons and Humans together. They are still a relatively new thing, it wouldn't be hard to tarnish their image through these attacks." Frowning, she stood up, shutting her laptop, annoyed. "I don't understand how people work sometimes! What is the point in making people afraid?!" She began pacing for a few minutes, really confused.

"So, what are we supposed to do, Rasteva? Sit around and wait for the next attack? Try to catch them in the act? What about the people they end up scaring out of trusting Daemons? This..this could really escalate into something we can't handle. I'm not saying we have to handle it alone, but.." She gave pause, and stuck a hand into her pocket, playing at the thin lining of it. "What, do we make our own group against them? Showing that Daemons aren't harmful on purpose?" It was just a fleeting idea, the more she thought of it, the more it seemed to just be a cheesy movie or television show prompt. Evil group shows up to disturb the peace, Do-Gooder group forms in order to combat their heinous crimes! Sara made her way down the hallway and laid down on the bed, her face in the sheets, groaning. This was happening way too fast. They just finished making a small dent in their ability to defend themselves today..

[Ramjammer]

Rasteva attempted to placate Sara, but to little effect. "Calm yourself Sara. There's no point in getting upset now." The Raven hopped onto the desk the laptop was situated on, staring up at the distressed woman. "Listen to me. We cannot afford to be ovewhelmed right now. Especially when so much is at stake." Once they were sure that Sara had calmed down enough to listen, the Daemon resumed speaking. "It is not so complicated all things considered. Your kind have always used such tactics to sway public opinion. The only difference this time around is that you're not using them against each other, and instead against my kind." The Daemon kept their tone even, but a bit of irritation laced it. "One step forward and two steps back as you often say."

Rasteva hopped back towards the laptop, eyeing the screen critically. "These people fear what they do not understand. Though a part of me cannot blame them in some regard." Rasteva turned back to face Sara, and affixed her with an even stare. "Tell me. Are you even fully aware of what I am? Of what we are? What we are capable of? These Purgers and others have educated themselves on the matter." The Daemon paused, the image of a smirking face flashing in their mind briefly. They shook their head to clear away any negative thoughts they may have and continued. "But where some seek to abuse this knowledge, others like these Purgers wish to have it wiped from existence. Their concerns hold validity, but their methods of expressing them are more than questionable."

Rasteva watched silently for a moment as Sara resumed pacing, she seemed to be wracking her brain for ideas but could not offer many. The Daemon met her sole suggestion with a tentative reply of their own. "While what you suggest holds merit, I do not think it to be a good idea. We alone are not the most capable, and they specifically target pairs that can do little to defend themselves." The Raven stared up at the cieling, deep in thought. "Also I think such a thing would be illegal. The local authorities would not like the idea of another group of self proclaimed heros running about." Rasteva let out a thoughtful sound and looked back at Sara. "Perhaps we can educate other people on the inherent dangers and how they can deal with them? The Purgers don't have Daemons of their own but others do. That knowledge should be reassuring in some manner. I am sure that there are many Daemons parting from their Humans in a misguided effort to keep them safe." Rasteva turned back towards the Laptop, looking at the frozen image on the screen. "It is more dangerous to go alone after all...."

---

Across town a woman sat alone at a large desk, eyes scanning a tablet screen critically. "Another attack. It seems that not everyone is prepared to step into the future along with the rest of us." Lorette sighed loudly and leaned back in the plush chair she was seated in. "But I'd be lying if I said I was even a little bit surprised." A voice emanated from her side, and the woman's brows drew even further into a frown. "No, it is not surprising at all." A plume of smoke erupted from the sword at her hip and floated lazily over her head. "When has your species not been prone to acts of stupidity? I cannot recall a single year on this miserable rock where there hasn't been a war going on somewhere. Not for the last three thousand years at least." Lorette's eyes tracked the smoke cloud with mild disinterest. "I am well aware of my species' many failings Tasosael. I have suffered for them personally for a long time." The woman's tone was clipped and left no room for argument. "That, however, is not my reason for concern. This little group of misfits may not pose much of a threat now, but they will prove to be a thorn in my side if they're allowed to get out of hand."

Lorette spun her chair, a remote appearing suddenly in her hand to turn on a large flatscreen covering the nearest wall. The local news was covering the latest attack at the University and the reporter was asking for comments from various students and faculty. "Look at this. Most of them don't want to see Daemons gone from the world, but some do. And every day this organization gains traction. Fear has always been and will always be a good enough motivation for Humanity. We've certainly allowed some atrocious things to happen as a result of it." The woman muted the tv, fingers threading through her hair as she stared down at her desk. "We can't allow these people to gain any more traction. Every voice added to their cause is another setback to our plans."
Tasosael floated down to eye level with Lorette, their voice taking on an amused tone. "Is that truly all Lècuyer? Surely your motives aren't so clear cut." The cloud floated out of range with a chuckle as the woman swatted at it with a hand. "Come now. It's them. That girl they're with attends that University. And an attack with her in the same room? You came very close to losing your prize." Lorette said nothing and steepled her fingers together, glaring up at the cloud of smoke. "I must say, I'm growing jealous Lècuyer. I wonder if you even need me at all." Lorette waved a hand flippantly at the Daemon. "You have your place in my designs as I do in yours Tasosael. Our partnership is still mutually beneficial and will continue to remain so." The woman affixes the cloud of smoke with an even stare. "But only so long as both parties remain on their best behavior." Tasosael let out a low growling sound and retreated into the woman's sword. "As you say Lècuyer, though I wonder how long we both can promise such a thing."

Lorette remained silent for a moment before reaching forward to press a button on her intercom. A secretary answered promptly. "Yes Madame Lècuyer?" "Send Allister to my office immediately. I have a task for him."

[knuxieh]

It was easy for Rasteva to tell her not to be upset, but could they really sit there and blame her? Sighing, she decided to give what they had to say a listen. Ignoring them wouldn't do her any good, and would be rude at that. They did have a point, though...

Did she really understand what was going on? Not really...She was just a part of this in order to help Rasteva. This just happened to be the way to go about getting that. Looking up from her sheets, she shook her head. "No, I haven't really had a reason to actually get involved until you showed up. I heard some reports of them, and classmates were going on about Daemons, but other than the occasional normalcy of them just being a part of daily life I didn't need to know." Her mood only seemed to fall as they dismissed her suggestion about a band of do-gooders. Granted the idea was only made on a whim and was only half-formed but it still hurt her feelings just a bit at how easily they cast the idea out. "Yeah...I guess you're right." She rolled over on her bed, grabbing a nearby stuffed rabbit and snuggling it to her chest. Rasteva brought a suggestion of their own, and the young woman played with the soft ears of her stuffed companion and raised an eyebrow. "How can we educate them if they're already avoiding people as it is? You saw how it was on the walk home today. Nobody is really going to be open to talking to people they don't already know. I don't do well with talking to people that I don't know, anyway.." She bit her lower lip. "Do you mean educating the Daemons? I don't see why they would separate. Do you think it's a cover maybe? It's always hard to tell the intentions of others."

[Ramjammer]

The Daemon mentally cursed themselves, as a hurt expression flashed briefly across Sara's face. She was only trying to help as best she could, there wasn't really any reason for Rasteva to dismiss her opinions so quickly. Especially given all that she'd done thus far. Flapping off of the desk, the Raven settled themselves down on the bed with Sara. The positioned themselves on the pillow and settled down, a wing extending to rest over her head once more. "I apologize, I should not have spoken to you so in such a dismissive manner Sara. It is not as if I've offered up any solutions myself." Rasteva paused unsure of how to form their next statement. "I am.....I do not know how to talk to Humans. It is very confusing to me sometimes, each of defines words said in such different manners. But that does not excuse what I did." The Daemon ruffled their feathers and settled more comfortably on the pillow. "I myself still cannot say what we can do about this whole thing. It has never been in my nature to help others before."

This was true and Rasteva knew it. Before all of this had started the Daemon did not concern themselves with the goings-on of Mortals. They had watched and absorbed all that they did, but Humanity had not been considered among Rasteva's friends and allies. Not even when they two worlds had begun to interact did they make an effort to reach out. On some level, Rasteva wondered if they might have agreed with the opinions of the Purgers. That Daemons and Humans had no business interacting. It wasn't too far-fetched and even now they wondered if it was worth all the trouble.

The Raven was pulled from their thoughts as Sara spoke, and looked down at her. "Why do they leave? Why does anybody leave a loved one behind if their very presence would do them harm? So that they do not get hurt. The Purgers are attempting to drive a wedge between Humanity and Daemons. The Daemons leave because they do not wish harm to befall their Human companions. The Humans allow it because they have grown fearful. If allowed to go on for long enough, there may be a gap that cannot be bridged." The Daemon cocked their head, something that Sara had said piquing their interest. "Sara. We both know why I am here and what I seek to do. That much is clear. Even the Purgers know what they want to do. But what about you Sara? Surely you cannot be content with following me around while I grasp at former glory." The Ravens eyes watched the young woman's face carefully, waiting for a response. "There must be something that you can gain from all this. Otherwise what is the point of it all? I would......I would not want you to be hurt helping me only to gain nothing for it in the end."

[knuxieh]

The young woman shook her head at Rasteva's apology. "It's alright, really. It wasn't that great of an idea, anyways." She wasn't trying to make them feel bad for it or anything of that nature. "I don't really even know how to talk to people, either. I get it. It's not as bad as you think, my feelings were only hurt for a moment. I should probably think more before speaking, but I don't really do that often.."

Hearing that Rasteva did not really go out of their way to help others, she couldn't say that it really surprised her. They did go out of their way to get as far away from her as possible once they had gotten situated in her teddy bear when they had met. She could appreciate that the situation they were in was odd for both of them. Besides her toys, she didn't take care to really get acquainted with others. Not because she didn't want to, but simply because other people would just end up ceasing contact, or something would happen and they would fall out. So, she normally just kept is polite and short with everyone.

She couldn't help but wonder about the validity of their response to her question. Daemons didn't regard Humans as loved ones, did they? Daemons had only recently gained momentum in the market. Could bonds that strong really have formed? If the human went along with it, was their bond weak to begin with? Were there always doubts? She herself wasn't immune to it. Rasteva had a confidence about them that she was sure could get them into trouble, but she wasn't sure if she herself was the best fit as far as partners were concerned. It wasn't a secret that she mostly kept to herself with her activities. Agreeing to this 'quest' for Rasteva was against pretty much her normal day-to-day. Their question about her thoughts on the matter surprised her, and she was so caught off guard she raised her eyebrows quite a bit. It had been quite some time since someone had asked how she felt about something, at least in regards to helping someone with a favor. Usually she just went along with helping someone whether it was an inconvenience to her or not. This most certainly was, but she also felt a bit responsible, and guilty for Rasteva's current situation.

It took her a moment to take in what they were asking, and when she had gotten her thoughts together, she simply looked up from her bunny, and smiled towards the raven on the nearby pillow. "Honestly? I gain that peace of mind that you're finally happy Rasteva. I don't help others for personal gain. The satisfaction of helping them achieve what they wanted is enough for me. You can't buy that - the look of pure joy on someone's face once they get what they were looking for." She gave a slight pause, squeezing the stuffed animal closer. "I don't know you, and only know so far that you enjoy fighting, physics, and gaining knowledge. But even still I want to help you. You deserve to be happy."