The Beast Awakens (Clarisse, Open)

[Damien Rose]

Animus Galaxy: Dominium

The time was roughly midday and everything had gone into a calm inside of the Darkson Manor. Much of the Seraphim did their own thing and considering that the bulk of the Darkson family had suddenly upped and left, there wasn't the familiar voices that accompanied each member. There wasn't a Celia running up and down the hall, chasing maidservants and others alike, trying to use them as experiments. There were no sudden shrieks whenever the tiny Lily suddenly appeared behind others, no Gwain that the women fawned over and last but not least, there wasn't a Marigold who everyone stopped and bowed their heads to... In this loneliness, Beast, as they all called him, found himself roaming the halls. Alone. Not even the leader of the Seraphim, Himeiji, nor the third wing, Three had been around.

Everyone spoke of how the Darkson family left to an entirely different universe, once Lily and Gwain designed the ships to do so. Not only that, but word had started circulating that the head of the family, Marigold, had gotten in contact with Florenthal Rosehall, the Second Wing of the Seraphim. Their queen had passed along a message to them stating her tardiness to communicate and an even greater apology for having to further reduce the numbers of the Seraphs. The missing Hime and Three became more explainable now, but Beast didn't like it one bit. If there was one person who he'd beat to death with a bag of nickles, it'd be Three. Simply due to the fact that Damien feels him to be an extremely arrogant prick, who does nothing more than hit on women and swindles people. How he managed to make it to the 3rd spot in the Seraphs, was still a mystery to the werewolf man.

Nonetheless, he didn't care one bit about the loneliness he felt within the manor walls. Regal as they were, the walls and halls were decorated with some of the finest fabrics and the manor itself used some of the most practical, yet still very fancy materials to build itself up. Marigold believed in classy simplicity and figured that if she could have beautiful things without really hurting anyone in particular, then she could have them. No questions asked. However, the regal setting wasn't his thing. Beast liked the outside more. Forests, mountains, grassy plains, the whole nine yards. That was his territory, the outside world. Damien would be lying to himself if he said he didn't get used to the comfortable life, but that wasn't who he was. The man despised being comfortable for extended periods of time, because that only meant something was biding its time to come after them later. Much like her...

"Moon Beast..." The name rolled off of his tongue rather violently and with much venom to collapse the strongest of gods. Just the mere thought of the hellish woman was enough to get his heart and blood going. His body heated up and he could feel the violent outburst just waiting to come out of him. Damien didn't want to destroy anything, again, so he quickly high-tailed it down the long hallway and hit a turn to go out into one of the many gardens. Flowers. Flowers everywhere as it was one of the many gardens that surrounded the inner areas of the manor.

Nature. Nature was what brought him back down to earth, back to the thing he called "humanity." Whatever was left in him was surely dying. Gripping his chest, the man's body trembled as he remembered the smiling faces of his wife and daughter. Every day they brought him a bouquet of sorts, which usually contained some of the same flowers, but he accepted them nonetheless. His family pleased him greatly, as did the rest of the tribe. How could something so perfect and simple, be ruined by one deity? Were they truly that powerful, that merciless, that cruel? Gods and goddesses... He hated the term and to be even more of a cynic, he hated them. Beast thought of them as simply as creatures like him, his namesake. They were refined beasts, who did nothing more than sit on their asses in their high-chairs and toyed with humans as they saw fit. Just like the Moon Beast. Once more, the werewolf's blood boiled and it seemed as though his fury were about to take itself out onto the lands... But suddenly, everything calmed down again.

"Damien" A light voice came from behind him. The man turned around and in the midday sun, stood Florenthal Rosehall. The woman was dressed in a pink, frilly dress, that had many floral patterns about it. There were cursive words that wrote along the hems and on the edges of her sleeves. The woman had large, golden locks that curled into a drill-like pattern and floated gently above her rear. At all times, she wore a pink veil that hid her eyes from the world. Beneath it, however, one could see the masked power that she held within those orbs. "My, my, so that was the sudden influx of energy that I could see from my room... Your rage has grown quite strong in the last five years. Does she still truly eat away at you to this day?" The oracle asked. There was no form of emotion on her lips.

"Yes it still does! Was it that obvious!?" The man instantly shot back, his hands balling into fists. Revenge still ate away at his mind and soul, for he wanted more than to see that goddess crushed beneath his feet. "Why does it matter to you anyways, Florenthal?" He asked with a sound of annoyance in his voice.

"Simply because I'm The Oracle, Damien Rose... I have seen all there is to see, yet I must look back on all occasions to make sure I've seen correctly. Your present and future will constantly know strife, but there is an end to the bloodshed, however...." The woman trailed off softly, a hand touching upon her chin delicately. She had thin hands and they looked princess-like, with her peach colored skin only adding to the appearance. "I cannot see more than what is beyond this universe. Your test lies elsewhere and that is why it matters to me, Rose. I have news. News I know you'll want to hear." Florenthal smiled every so delicately, yet it held a bitter dread behind the sweet gesture. "You will find her very soon, for she will come to you, my precious Beast. She will threaten your livelihood once again and will even kill our queen should you falter like you have before! Her voice rang out ominously, yet was filled with a gentle, sing-song voice that showed the beauty and cruelty in learning of ones faith....

Damien's eyes widened and growled out. He took an offensive stance, almost ready to fight the Second Wing of the Seraphim. However, she made no gesture to fight him and with a simple flick of her wrists, teleported him. A gentle finger swiped across her lips and she turned on her heels, heading back into the halls of the manor...

---

Unknown Universe: Enchanted Dominion

Evening time now, the sun had gone away and allowed the moon to hang high above the entirety of the Enchanted Dominion. The milky light cast from its glow naturally lit up everything it could. More importantly, it lit up the area where the young werewolf male was tossed into. Surrounding him were smoldered trees. Many of them were knocked to the side, as there were a giant skid mark the dug along the forest floor a bit and made it's mark at a slumped over tree. Thankfully nothing caught fire and the only thing hurt was the pride of the man who thought it wise to argue with his Oracle.

"That bitch..." Damien grumbled and rose from his crater. The muscular and toned man looked around his surroundings and felt extremely odd. A good chunk of what felt like his natural talent became severely limited suddenly. He felt it in his senses. Movement felt sluggish and unnatural, which lead the man to believe that Florenthal had probably done something to him through the teleportation spell. However, he knew one thing, that he was in a completely different area. The scent he was picking up, despite his shot senses, was extremely unfamiliar. "Dammit, where did she end up bringing me!?"

He looked every which way and felt very uneasy. There was the all too familiar presence of that woman here... Almost immediately, a loud howl came from Damien. Instantaneously, the man transformed and he bolted off in the direction of the presence and the scent.

---

Elsewhere, in the Enchanted Dominion

Snow-white hair that looked tattered, yet silky. A long, flowing garb that draped over the feminine figure, it's edges torn and showed wear. White bandages went along the entirety of her body, accentuation every curve and asset, up to her neck. A pale, dead complexion took to the woman's face, as grey-silver eyes stared up at the moon. She was situated in the middle of a clearing, embraced by the moon's presence as she used it's energies to restore her own to a degree. Her glossy lips formed into a smile as she heard the familiar sounds of a howl. A howl that she knew belonged to a dear test subject of hers. How did it find her? The woman didn't know, all she knew was that her plans were being set in motion. A bit sooner than expected, but better sooner than later.

"Ah, so the Beast finally bares his fangs..." Her voice came out silky and on the winds, almost as if they were speaking for her. However, that was just the normal contralto that her voice carried with it naturally. She felt others than the man who she ached for... Fodder that was going to feed her growing hunger. Whoever tried to interrupt such a gorgeous reunion was going to pay with their life. Master and creation are the only ones allowed to enjoy such a beautiful moon...

[Clarisse]

“Well c'mon, Clair-bear. I know it's dark an' whatnot, but we haven't a moment to lose! Now's a prime time to get some experience under your belt and some meat on your bones. I swear, you get any smaller and I'll have to start taking corrective action...”

From upon the back of a small, blond girl, her companion spoke to her, an accent to her speech. It looked like nothing more than an animated teddy bear, but Cambria was so much more to the child. She was petite, wore all white, and was only of the age of seven. Over her left eye was a white eye patch, covering up what would be a strange sight. Or so the child summoner thought. Not too many people had a condition like hers, and so she didn't want to stand out too much.

Stepping through the densely wooded area at Cambria's request, Clarisse brushed aside low hanging branches and brush and the such. They had strayed a bit from the well-beaten path in hopes of finding a few heartless in which to practice their teamwork a little. The girl was still a novice when it came ot the summoning arts, and so still had much to learn. So far, and most surprisingly, they had yet to find any sort of creature of darkness. In the depths of the woods, their only light being that of the moon, not much seemed to stir. It was tense, quiet, almost nerve-wracking. It had Clarisse on edge, looking all around as she held her staff close to her chest.

“Aw, don't be nervous, Clair-bear. If anything, I'll personally see to it that I get you out of here safe an' sound. But no risk, no reward. Right?” Cambria turned to look at the child with a comforting smile, tapping a paw upon her blond locks.

In response, the child nodded. No words ever left her lips, as it wasn't physically possible for her. She had to rely a lot on body language and the like, as not many people were familiar with sign language. Every so often she'd come across one, but it wasn't too common; a fact she came to accept long ago. Looking around, her one bright blue-green eye tried to peer through the darkness as she walked through the forest. The bear upon her back clung to her, small furry arms hooked over her shoulders so that she too could see the world.

They traveled a while more, feeling blindly though the brush. Clarisse stopped at a particular point in time, however, her small frame tensing and looking from side to side in a nervous state of mind. Off in the distance, there was a loud, echoing howl that sounded through the forest. The child was aware that there were indeed animals in a forest, but that one sounded dangerous, scary.

“N-Now, Clarisse. You can't get scared,” Cambria, sensing the summoner's state of panic, attempted to calm her. “This is just a natural part of the world. Not nearly as bad as the heartless, which we've handled before. Right?” Clarisse, brows knitted in a battle against her fears, looked to the companion on her shoulder and gave her a shaky nod.

Off to their right, a twig snapped and Clarisse was off running, dashing through the trees without a care as to where she was going. Little did she know, it was only a rabbit. It was safe to say that the erratic directions the girl took got the two of them thoroughly lost. Cambria was going t have a hell of a time trying to get them back to the town, now. She didn't even try to stop the child, letting her run herself tired. And she would have, too, if the duo didn't pop into a large clearing.

The change of scenery, bathed in the pale light of the moon, was enchanting. What was even more so, was the woman that stood at its center, gazing up at the light with a smile. Clarisse stared at her in a frozen, timid awe, not sure of what she should do at that moment in time. The bear at her shoulder gave the woman a once over. Something about her didn't sit right with the summon. But what was it..?

[Damien Rose]

The Moon Beast had enjoyed her little quiet stadium to herself. The wind was crisp, the darkness was welcome and most of all, the moon was very warming. Her smile stretched across her lips further, causing a sharp row of teeth to be seen at a certain angle. The woman was clearly something more than human. With the topic of human, there was a certain presence that presented itself to her. Foreign, not Damien in the slightest. A small stain upon her currently perfected little world. She would make due to scrub it off, once she got a good look of what it was. Her grin turned into a rather bemused and seemingly annoyed stare, as she looked upon a small girl with a teddy-bear over her shoulder.

"And who... Pray tell, are you? Her voice asked along the winds, but was rather ominous and foreboding. It was clear that the woman really didn't care for the young girl in front of her, doing so only out of the concept of common courtesy. A single hand was removed from the garb that draped over the woman's bandaged body. The Moon Beast pointed a crooked finger to the girl and a cruel smile appeared on her lips. Tsukuyomi already answered the question she proposed to the girl. She was a late-night snack. That's all she was worth, given her age. She couldn't really be anything other than a tasty meal for the recovering goddess.

A terrible started to tremble the very earth beneath their feet. The woman slowly rose to a levitated state, where her toes floated several inches off the ground. She was preparing a spell, that much was assured and the recovering goddess was going to make it a quick end for the tiny girl. Her smile turned into a wicked grin and her eyes flashed a deadly light. However, something quite miraculous happened...

---

Beast had traveled quickly and desperately through the forest, feeling the rising power of the Moon Beast. His blood boiled beyond all belief and as such, it caused him to roar and howl out fiercely once more. The bestial man, in his werewolf form, tore down trees and trampled the ground beneath him. His fury was untold and he knew it was because of that one woman. Without thinking much at all, he continued forward in his rage and eventually made his way to the clearing, where the moon was its clearest. What stood before him was the vile woman, her energized power and a harmless little girl, who came at the wrong place, at the wrong time.

"YOU BITCH!" The werewolf roared out and with all of his speed, coupled with his might, threw himself at the woman in a reckless charge. His hands burned with the urge to rip the woman apart and his mind was clouded with all of the rage he had shoved into its dark corners. Truly, the man had become a beast in this one instance. Damien pulled back a fist and though he felt like he had closed the distance fast enough, the truth about this was that his body's proficiency had been shot down tremendously by the new universe. This was something Florenthal neglected to mention, but then again, she had no intention of telling the man to begin with. Nonetheless, the man was severely limited and his attack felt like it were fought naught.

---

The minute Damien's presence had entered the vicinity, Tsukuyomi stopped. She knew exactly how to bring the wild beast out and when he finally showed himself, she was ready. Her finger dropped from the girl, as she was no longer interested in her. The woman's hunger would be staved off for now, as her play toy came just in time. Moon Beast reveled at the sight of his fist and allowed it to collide right into the side of her face. However, she didn't move one bit. Not a single reaction could be gauged from the woman, as all she did was smile and gripped the werewolf by his wrist. She easily brought it down to his side and stared deeply into Damien's rage-filled eyes. With a small tilt of her head, she smiled at him softly and started to squeeze down on his captured wrist.

"Damien, my love, you arrived just in time to stargaze with me." She'd say with a playful tone and intensified the gravity around Damien's personal space. That would have more than likely sent him onto his knees, which she would then use the new position he were in, to grip him tightly by the ear and pulled it downward, which caused his head to look up at the moon and stars above. "It's been ages, you know? Ages since you thoroughly screwed me, in all the wrong ways... How does it feel, by the way? This new place really does wonders on your body, so much like you, I'm reduced to some weakened form. It's very inconvenient and I believe I have you to thank for that!" Her voice was extremely mocking, condescending, but most of all, held a very subtle anger that seemed to stretch beyond the visible rage her captive held."So now, I'm going to take the pleasure in beating you within an inch of your life, just so you can grasp the scope of your insignificance. Once I do, you'll learn to swear fealty to me and if not..." Tsukuyomi trailed off, her gaze falling to the side where the little girl with the teddy bear was standing. "I'll devour the girl, piece by piece, just like with I did to your very own little-"

---

The werewolf let out a small howl when he was quite and was even more surprised at the fact his punch did absolutely nothing to the insidious woman. Usually a punch from him was able to leave craters and that was during his good days. However, this new turn of events set him at a disadvantage and was found pinned to the ground by gravity and forced to look up. Rather than watch the moon and stars, Beast stared up at his mortal nemesis. His eyes showed a deep intent to kill her, if he could muster enough of an advantage to break free. However, all he could do was listen to her antagonize him, but there was one thing that truly sent him over the edge...

Damien snapped in that instance his daughter was hinted at and his anger had reached a whole knew height. His body boiled with eat so intense, there was a surrounding heat wave. Next thing the man knew, he found himself twisting his wrist around in order to put in the position to turn the tables on Tsukuyomi. Damien broke free from his position, which took a whole lot of energy in doing so. He didn't miss a beat, however, and threw himself into a spinning roundhouse that aimed to slam into the side of the woman's skull and send her reeling.

---

Tsukuyomi basked in the heat and rage. Her tongue went over her lips, as she licked them rather seductively, but her sadistic nature was truly unmasked when she laughed maniacally. She allowed Beast to move freely, toying with him and even briefly teleporting away when his kick came around. Tsuku was now high into the air, a mocking smile on her lips.

"How boring... You used to be so much more stronger... This isn't any fun at all and I can't have my greatest creation be stuck in such a shameful state. This won't do at all... Tell you what, Damien Rose, I'll leave behind little bread crumbs for you to follow. Be a good little puppy and come back to your master with an answer to an age old question. Are you with me or against me? You'll only have so much time to answer, before I devour that slutty bitch of a queen you cherish so much, along with the rest of your family..." Her threat was very real and it was said with so sweet a tone. The woman slowly rose higher into the air, space fluctuating around her in a violent manner, as she teleported from the scene. Gone in an instant. Now, it was only the small girl left with the rampant werewolf...

---

Beast had watched the woman teleport away, almost half tempted to run after her, but at his current angle, he was in no position to pursue. Once more, he caught himself listening to the woman rather than going over and beating her to death. His body failed him completely in this world and that dealt a major blow to his over all morale. She one upped him on every situation thus far. His howl was so great and pained, that it caused the earth to quake in the same defeat he felt. The Moon Beast threatened his family and offered him that same damn question from before. He was tired of it, tired of all of it. The loss, the defeats, all of it. Damien wanted to end her then and now, but just like that, she vanished.

"DAMN YOU, TSUKUYOMI!!!!" When she was gone, he lashed out, completely disregarding the young girl who had watched the whole thing and started to thrash about. His fists cracked and broke the ground, his rage scorching the plant-like that was within his immediate radius. Damien was enraged beyond all belief and it seemed like nearly nothing would be able to calm him down...

[Clarisse]

A jagged smile. A dangerous aura. A stare that did not bode well. Cambria's assumption was correct. This woman was dangerous. The summon, now giving the smiling woman her complete attention, whispered quietly in Clarisse's ear. “Clair-bear. I need to you carefully turn away and run.” Cambria gave the instruction, trying to appear as calm and leveled. She was ready to defend should it come to that. But fighting the woman would most definitely have put the child in danger, and that was not something the Ursa would not allow. Then again, she couldn't stay and fight her either, even if Clarisse had ran. The girl would have just gotten lost in the depths of the woods. Who knows what other dangers could be lurking out there.

It didn't seem to matter anyways. Even though she heard the summon speak, Clarisse was rooted to the spot, frozen staring at the woman with a single, wide blue-green eye. The woman had spoken without words, her voice whispering into the child's ear like a menacing wind. It struck Clarisse with a deep fear, one that refuse to let her follow the Ursa's directions, no matter how much she wanted to. What finally caused her to look away from her gray eyes was the hand she raised, pointing at the child a single finger. The intent behind the gesture was clear, and Cambria urged again for her to run, this time more urgent. But even she struggled against the oppressive intimidation presented by the woman. Both watched as she rose from her ground, the earth beneath them trembling with the energy she silver-haired woman put out. If she were capable, Clarisse would have whimpered in horror. Her small frame shook violently and small tears welled in the corner of her eyes.

The devilish grin that was flashed at her had her knees knocking together and the terrified girl began to weep with silent tears. Off to the side, an enraged howl broke through the clearing. The sound made the girl jump, though she was grateful for the interruption, and her eye whipped to the side to see a quick-moving mass come onto sight. With another loud roar, the newcomer threw both slander and himself at the white woman, aiming to land a heavy punch.

“Run now, Clarisse!” Cambria hissed into the child's ear, using the distraction to her advantage and ushering the child to run again for the third time. This time, she even tapped against the summoner's head to further get her attention, wanting to leave to two adults to their fighting. They were of no concern to the Ursa.

Clarisse was finally broken from her fearful trance, her small feet turning to run. She turned a concerned eye to the bear at her shoulder, a question instilled into it. “They'll be fine, Clair-bear. Just keep going!” she said, trying to speak over the words that carried on the wind. The child made it not even five feet into the forest before the whispering wind halted her. Her staff gripped close to her chest, she turned around looked at the werewolf, though she knew not what the Beast was, and the unfortunate situation he was in. “What are you doing, Clair?” the Ursa hissed again, though it was only out of concern.

“Doggie...” she thought to herself, her concern still playing her blue-green orb. Hearing what the woman had planned for him, Clarisse want to leave him for dead, no matter how scared she was. While he seemed powerful, the scary lady seemed so much stronger. It wasn't fair at all. But there was something she said that made him really angry, and made her fear for herself again.

Cambria could feel it, too, the energy that rolled of both individuals. It was intense, and concerning. If things got too out of hand, there was a good chance that Clarisse could be caught in the cross-fire. But she wasn't going to be going anywhere, so it seemed. It was unusually defiant of her, but not to be unexpected. The child had a soft spot for animals and... anthromorphs? She was guessing the man's nature. So with a click of her tongue, Cambria returned her attention to the two powerhouses and watched them close. They knew each other, that much was apparent, though it didn't seem to be on good terms. The Ursa growled when the woman made mention of eating the summoner, something she'd never let happen so long as she breathed. It seemed that the werewolf had a similar though, his rage manifesting into a wave of heat. Clarisse raised a hand instinctively to guard her face, her eyes squinting at the heat. She only just barely seen the doggie resist the woman and tried to kick her.

The white woman easily dodged, not that it surprised the Usra. So confident in her abilities, she was, that she laughed at the werewolf's effort. Mocking him with no remorse. After jabbing at his pride, she left in a violent fluctuation of space. In frustration, the werewolf unleashed his fury upon he earth beneath it. The act had frightened Clarisse, though not in the same way the woman had. Peeking at him from behind the wide base of an oak, the summoner watched him in concern and trepidation as he burned all the plant life around him. She wanted to help the doggie, make him feel better, but she didn't know how to approach him.

Knowing what it was the that girl was wanting, Cambria sighed to herself. Clarisse was a sweetheart, but so shy. And nervous. Hopping off the child's shoulder, Clarisse watched as the Ursa marched off towards the raging beast with a few choice words she'd keep to herself for the youth's sake. Not wanting to be left alone, the girl reached out a thin arm to try and stop her. A vain attempt, of course.

“Now listen here, you!” Cambria shouted with an obvious irritation when she was as close as she was willing to get. From the two paws that she hand on her waist, one was raised to point at the werewolf, identified as Damien by the woman. “You stop that right now. The ground has done nothing to you, so leave it alone! An' you're scaring poor Clarisse!” she used that same paw to point at the hiding blonde child. “She's already been given quite the fright as is, an' I won't stand for it! Ya hear? So stuff your anger in a bottle and ship it! Or at least point us in the right direction so we can return to town! I don't need her learning this kind of... wild fury. Next thing ya know, I have an ill-tempered child to deal with. Won't have any of it.”

Clarisse blinked a few times upon being mentioned, hiding her face behind the tree for a short while. When she peeked out again, she heard the Ursa's voice getting testy and the child grew concerned again. This time not for the doggie, but the bear. She wanted to go and obtain Cambria, to walk away with her and let her fume, but she knew better than to interfere. That usually just got Cammie more upset...

[Damien Rose]

Beast's mind had revisited the images of his past. He once again witnessed the death of his family and tribe, watching as they all slowly turned and were ripped to shreds. All of this caused by the dreaded Tsukuyomi. Damien's spiraled out of control, his claws tore at the land every which way and his howls were manic and feral. His eyes had turned into a deep, violent red and he seemed to have the urge to rampage into the forest. All the while, the fierce werewolf hadn't noticed that a teddy-bear, a sentient one at that, had become brave enough to come out of hiding without its master. Beast paid no mind at all to it, not even acknowledging its presence, though he did pick up on its scent. Rose's head shot over to the scent as it grew closer and he noticed the strange doll.

He didn't think anything of it at first, not really knowing how or why it came up to him to begin with. This stopped his vicious movements for a minute, as he tried to figure out what the thing wanted with him. Beast bared his fangs dangerously and started to growl with a vicious snarl. The werewolf hunched over and looked as if he were going to pounce on the stuffed animal and tear it to shreds. Slobber dribbled from his mouth, as he cared not for any form of etiquette, because let's face it, he's a anthromorphic animal. Damien roared out towards the teddy-bear, trying to scare it away.

However, that's not the intended result that he acquired. The creature started to talk to him, in a rather sassy and accented voice. She was chastising him like a mother would to their child. Beast was honestly confused by the whole ordeal and merely stood there, gazing upon the vocal creature. He listened to it closely and even shot his ominous, blood-red, predator eyes over to the base of the tree, where he spotted the blue-green eye girl. Damien turned his gaze back down to the teddy-bear again and snapped at it, in a sassy manner that was similar to the speech showed by the toy. The werewolf became increasingly annoyed as the thing tried to chastise him for something as silly as scaring a little girl.

"How about you shut...!" Damien almost finished his sentence, but stopped prematurely. He realized by the shape and size of the girl, that she was probably no older than young child. However, his mind had sifted through its cloud of anger and managed to part said clouds, to reveal that the girl was the same one who Tsukuyomi threatened with her presence. Little did the man know, he had saved a life. His brow furrowed, but he stopped the snarling and even backed away a bit from the angered stuffed animal. Something about saving the life of that child created a sense of calm within the man, his anger still notably visible, but no longer did the flames burn away at the wildlife around it. There was a visible heat wave, tinted with a red aura that wafted around the man. Deciding that his current form was more than likely intimidating, the man slowly reverted back to his sapient form.

The burly, muscular, yet toned man, had showed his true form. His sharp, orange-yellow eyes shifted between the girl with the eyepatch and what he assumed was the teddy-bear that belonged to her. A simple scoff was what his response was to her complaint. It showed that he was still rather angry with the entire situation, though something told him that it was best he just drop it. Damien was a stubborn man at the end of the day, however, and he wasn't going to just "stuff and ship" his annoyance.

"Listen, if it weren't for me, your little scared cub over there would be dead! Rather than giving me all of that sass, you should be thanking me!" Clearly a blunt way of speaking indeed, as it seemed that just like the feminine voice that spoke to the man, he too wasn't going to have any of it. The creature did, though, bring up a rather interesting dilemma. Both parties seemed to be wayward in their journey. Beast was thrown into a new land altogether, thanks in no small part to his second in command. He was lost completely and when the woman demanded a finger to the right path, all Damien could do was just give her a confused raise of an eyebrow. Normally, one would be shocked to be talking to an inanimate object, but after hanging around the Darkson family, Rose had seen pretty much everything.

[Clarisse]

Cambria wasn't at all intimidated by how Damien presented himself, vicious and uncouth. She even went so far as t cock an eyebrow at how he snarled at her, roaring out in anger. Being in the position she was among the summon community, she'd seen far worse than in ill-tempered werewolf. This was no dent to her confidence. She was, however, only as strong as her summoner, and would have to mind herself as to avoid being ripped to shreds. It irked her quite a bit when he tossed such intimidating eyes at Clarisse, but decided to let it slide for the sake of productiveness. Though he didn't seem to appreciate what it was she had to say. Damien went to retort with a snarky comment, but stopped short.

His eyes darted back to the blonde, who, for a second time, dipped back in hiding behind the tree. It's not necessarily that she was afraid of him, though it went without saying that she was afraid, but Clarisse was more occupied with avoid direct eye contact. Whatever Cammie had said to the doggie seemed to be working. It's mean posture seemed to calm, and the red aura that floated about him dissipated. What served to even further surprise the child was when the doggie morphed into the form of a man. It idea of it sent her young mind reeling, not quite able to understand what was going on and how.

The Ursa, on the other hand, was left unfazed by the transformation. Though the man himself was far more... how should she say... attractive then she initially thought, she knew of the nature of werewolves. In her time, she'd come across a small few, but none so spiteful as this one. When he spat back at her, Cambria was half-tempted to keep going, but stopped. She raised her brows at him, finding it both amusing and understandable. Who knows what would have happened if the wolf man hadn't shown up when he did. With a defeated sigh, Cambria let her paws rest on her hips again, though in a more relaxed stance. “I am grateful for what you've done. Lord knows the child doesn't need any more cause to distrust others. But it does seem your temper is as misplaced as mine. Apologies. Clarisse was just concerned about your mental state and was too frightened to approach you herself. Got me in a tizzy was all,” Cambria spoke as though the whole ordeal had tired her out, placing a paw to her forehead as she shook her head. Turning around, she then waved that paw at the hiding Clarisse. “Clari-bear, it's okay now. You can come say hi now.”

Clarisse had been given the all-clear, and yet her knocking knees seemed to stun her from moving anywhere. Since he changed back, the young summoner had been staring at him, unsure of what she wanted to do anymore. Ever since her younger years, there had been an irrational fear of people deep within her. It wasn't anything, for as long as they've thought about it, that she nor Cambria could explain. But with the Ursa's expectant eyes upon her, the child knew it wasn't a request, but a demand. Cammie did go through all that trouble to talk to the...man... The least she could do was return the same kindness.

Stepping out from behind the tree, Clarisse held her staff close to her chest as she staggered closer to the two. She got about six yards away before she couldn't come any closer. Her face was a deep shade of red, which she attempted to hide behind the glass-like gemstone that sat at the head of her staff. Cambria chuckled to herself, teetering over to the child so that she could scale her up to her shoulder again. Being so short, it sort of bit at her pride.

“Being shy now, of all times, Clair-bear? At least say hello, hm?”

Clarisse looked from Beast, to the bear on her shoulder. One of her hands pried itself from the staff it held, and began flying through a series of sign language alphabet letters. Yellow bird? the letters spelled out, their code word for the promise of being safe. Cambria nodded in affirmation, tapping the child's blond hair with a small smile. Looked back to Damien with her single blue-green eye, she gave him a gentle wave and a small bow. Anything too big would have sent Cambria tumbling.

[Damien Rose]

Damien kept a rather close eye on both the teddy-bear looking animal and the blonde that hid herself from view quite often. However, his mind often wondered whenever the two began to speak with one another and his eyes drifted off to the sides of the clearing. His face showed a rather calmed, aloof state of being, as he started to calm himself down further. Anger wasn't the best to lead one's self with and the werewolf knew that, but it always got the beast of him. Always. However, when he was around that woman he couldn't help the rage that burst forth and caused him to rampage.

The topic of leading reminded the man that he was in fact, still very lost. His head shot back and forth to the scenery every so often, as he continued to listen. The blonde didn't speak a bit, something he attributed to her fear of him. It wasn't a new experience for the man, he normally was greeted with such speechlessness. Considering that when she did reveal herself after coming out from behind that tree and showed that she were just a young child, it was't any surprise that all she did was gawk. The man looked down at the girl, glad that she wasn't harmed in any way. He wouldn't know what he'd do with himself, if the first thing he was met with, was more defeat and death. Especially with someone as young as the eye-patch wearing girl, it would have torn him completely. However, this didn't show on his face, as it held the same sharp, stern look.

"My mental state is fine! Though, I am glad that nothing has happened to the cub, anyways..." The man trailed off, looking between the short, teddy-bear-like woman and the child she accompanied. They were an odd pair and what even made the sight weirder, was how the young girl had worn an eye-patch over her right eye. He wondered how she got it. Maybe it was due to some abuse? It would explain why she's traversing a dangerous forest in the middle of the night. Perhaps it was something more to the whole thing, he didn't know and couldn't really guess. Given that she was traveling with a pipsqueak though, it made him truly question what was all going on. Like why she didn't speak, only stared.

His question was easily answered, however, when she signed away with her fingers. A single eyebrow rose when he saw the series of letters that spelled out two words.

"Yellow bird...? What's a mute girl and her teddy-bear doing in a place like this?" He asked two questions, but what was more astounding was his ability to understand her sign-language with relative ease. The reason for this being is that on the Seraphim, there was Six, who wasn't mute, but deaf. Everybody who worked under him had to learn sign-language and considering that included a good bulk of the Wings, plus the Queen herself, it was a mandatory skill everyone had to have. Of course, that wouldn't mean he was going to be rude after asking. Damien easily returned the bow and showed that even though he were an ill-tempered man, he still had the social etiquette to be proper.

The werewolf's questions still stood though, but he was more or less interested in why the two were out in the forest to begin with. Sure, they could have answered it were none of his business and he would have merely taken that answer and left. However, something stopped him from even entertaining the thought and that was the small girl in front of him. There was no reason why she should have been alone, even if the sassy bear could help in any way possible, it was worrisome looking upon the image of the blonde and seeing that frailty in her. A low growl escaped his lips, as she reminded him of when his daughter was first born. The visions of innocent, stolen youth flashed in his mind briefly and caused him to hold his head in pain. After a tired sigh, Damien felt himself too exhausted to even attempt to leave anyways and that would show on his face. He merely waited out their answers or rather, the teddy-bear's answer.

[Clarisse]

Cambria was very pleased with how Beast had calmed himself enough to not mortify Clarisse with his intimidation factor. It's not to say that she was entirely comfortable standing before him, especially with how he still bore a stern gaze, but it was definitely a start. The Ursa held on as the child bowed to Damien, though caught wind of him muttering his questions. Upon hearing the first one, she could feel Clarisse tensing beneath her, her body giving a slight jump. Looking up as he returned a bow, the blonde stared at him wide-eyed. He... knew what she said? How- Oh no...

“'Scuse you, but I am not a teddy-bear!” Cambria blared out in a tone so offended, as she began climbing over the girl's shoulder. Damien had stuck a very sensitive cord with her without even knowing. “I come from a proud race of Ursa who have, for generations, protected summoners an' their kin! I won't be disgraced by being lowered to the insulting level of a child's playtoy! I ain't a stuffed object for one's amusement! I am an Ursa! I'm a force to be reckoned with and a d-” she continued to ramble in rage as she shook a fist at the werewolf, lunging at him from the girl's shoulder. If it weren't for Clarisse dropping her staff catching her mid-jump, the bear would have attempted to maul him. There wasn't a greater insult to her than that specific one. In comparison to the rest of her race, she was incredibly small. She had to work hard to prove that size didn't matter and that, despite her size, she was still just as capable as the rest.

Catching the Ursa, Clarisse gently nuzzled her cheek into the top of her furry head, calm and loving. Though there was still a visible twitch to Cambria's brow, she couldn't help but let most of her anger drop and lean into the summoner's nuzzle. With a sigh and a quiet mumble, she let the child hold her close to her chest, hanging from her arms. Sadly, it only further created the image of her being just a teddy-bear. It was then that she repeated Beast's two questions in her mind but was again interrupted when she made a small grunt as she was held tighter. Looking up, she seen that Clarisse was once again trying to hide her face.

The child, despite her companion's outburst, was still focused on the man that stood before her. She didn't know if it was from Cammie's outburst or from his own musings, but there was a low growl that escaped him. It didn't last long though, soon followed up with a sigh. The doggie-man looked so sleepy... Clarisse unconsciously tipped her head to the side in an act of curiosity. Was it 'cause he wore himself out earlier fighting the scary lady? The memory of the fight itself resurfaced the feelings of terror that she had not too long ago, but also reminded her of the form in which Damien took at that time. If she pictured the current calm-ish him as a doggie, he wasn't so scary. “Sleepy?” she signed with her small fingers, the word directed at Damien. Her face was still a deep shade of red, half hidden behind Cambria's head.

Clarisse's sudden interacting with him, though still widely bashful, was rather surprising. She had warmed right up to him. Which was a little saddening, being that it took the Ursa many weeks to obtain this level of trust with the girl. Perhaps it was because of his canine resemblance. She was such a softy for them. For now she'd have to accept defeat. After waiting for Damien's answer, should he feel like giving one, Cambria took the liberty of answering his questions. “Yes, Clarisse is mute. But that don't make her any less capable. We ventured out here in hopes of a li'l moonlit training, buff up her battle knowledge an' all that. A summon is only as strong as its summoner, you know. But somethin' spooked poor Clair-bear an' she took off running. That's when we bumped into that woman and yourself. 'Yellow Bird' is just one of many code words we have. What it means, we'll just leave you to wonder,” Cambria spoke to him, finishing with a small smile that bore a dual meaning.

[Damien Rose]

Though Damien had taken a considerable reduction to his skills, the smell of fear and tension were a few of the things that he was able to pick up on quite easily. Though, he knew it were warranted appropriately, seeing as he did sort of go off the rails back there. Nonetheless, he simply took a seat down on the ground. Nature was his bed, much like how it was back in his own time, so he was comfortable practically anywhere. He looked quite relaxed sitting in his criss-cross manner, that he didn't even flinch or give much attention to the Ursa, when she flew into a tizzy over being called a teddy-bear. Beast didn't see what was wrong with it, because that's how she looked. Seeing the woman nuzzled up to cozily to her partner was an excellent example of her being teddy-like in appearance.

"You done yet?" The black-haired man asked in a rather nonchalant tone, after the seemingly older woman had calmed herself down. He wondered how something that tiny could be so active and vicious. Maybe it was a woman thing. However, the man couldn't help but notice the contrast between the two. Clarisse was a young girl who was shy beyond all meaning of the word, while her summon (from what he gathered from Cambria's explanation is what she is) is the exact opposite. Sassy, short-tempered and apparently well-mannered. Looking at the two together, a small, deep chuckle escaped his lips as he knew the two complimented each other quite nicely.

His eyes wandered over to the tiny fingers of the blonde and she signaled if he were sleepy. The man hadn't noticed it, but he felt rather fatigued. Whatever the trip there did to him, honestly did tire him out quite easily. Not to mention the fight with Tsukuyomi was exceptionally taxing. He didn't realize that her power had the ability to break down his energy so easily. He grew frustrated again, but didn't show it as much. Only an annoyed twitch of his eyebrow showed there was something heavy going on in his mind. Nonetheless, he let out a yawn and grunted right after. He gave a small nod to the young summoner and closed his eyes thereafter.

"So you just happened to be strolling along in a dark, dangerous forest, with your... Ursa and ended up encountering me and that bi-... Questionable woman? That's not safe for a kid like you, even if you have the sassy bear alongside you. Aren't your parents concerned about you being out this late anyways?" The man could only assume that the child had parents, but in the unfortunate case that he didn't, his opened eyes and that shred of sympathy was what he'd respond with for making the incorrect assumption. A man like him knew all too well the worries of having one's pride and joy out and about. Even if one knew where their child was, they'd have always have the lingering want to protect them.

Questionably, one would have raised concern when it came to the whole training tid-bit to Cambria's explanation. Damien was one for training children at a young age to be prepared for most dangers they'd face at a higher age, but only under the correct parental supervision... Rather, not parental, but capable. It's not like he was doubting the two, but if the teddy-bear were dependent off of the strength of the summoner, she had better hope it works with the strength of heart or something, rather than actual physical or mental strength. Not that he was saying they were incompetent, but a girl who was afraid of anything, left much to be desired. Especially at her young age. Though, he did admire the fact that they at least put forth the effort. Dangerous of them to do so with just the two of them, but still commendable nonetheless.

[Clarisse]

Clarisse watched him from his seat in the grass. He didn't flinch or get mad or anything when Cammie got angry at him. That came as quite the relief to the child, and she let out a silent breath of air. Though hearing his response the the way the Ursa tensed in her arms had her concerned again. Cambria brushed it off with a “Tch...” and turned her head away at the time. It confused both summon and summoner to hear his deep chuckle. The sound itself had Clarisse tipping her head to the side in wonder. Even as he yawned, answering to her question without words, the fierce image Damien had build himself up to be seemed to soften and melt away.

Moving to slowly stand before the wolf-man, Clarisse bent to sit on her knees as he spoke. She looked to small compared to the man. The Ursa in her arms hopped down to stand on the grass and looked up at Damien with her arms crossed. She had no qualms with being called 'sassy', but her attitude returned with the mentioning of parents. It was a sensitive subject that always brought the child back into her shell. Looking at Clarisse from the corner of her eyes, it seemed even this time, it had gotten to her. The child had her head bowed, looking at the hands that sat wringing themselves in her lap. Clarisse loved her parents with all her heart while they were around, and couldn't have been any happier than when in their loving presence.

“Lives are fragile things. Gone before you know it. They are to be cherished while they exist, an' remembered when gone. So long as you keep them in your heart they're never really gone.” Cambria spoke with a soft tone, her posture softening. The child just nodded her head, not looking up her her hands. The Ursa sighed, casting an irritated glance at Damien before clambering up Clarisse's lap to cuddle into her chest. Pressing her forehead against the bear's head, the child hugged her tight. It was as if she didn't want to let go, the way she held the summon in her arms. “Don't you worry even a little, Clair-bear. I'm not goin' anywhere.” Again, the child just nodded.

Cambria was all she had left from her previous life with her family. Her parents, her grandmother, all of them had passed leaving the Ursa to care for and raise her. It was needless to say that she wasn't the best parental figure, but she did what she could to nurture her growth to the best of her abilities. It just irritated her how sad the child could get from time to time. Clarisse wasn't yet old enough to be comforted by words alone and needed physical comfort that Cambria wasn't able to properly give. Yet another curse placed upon her by her size...

[Damien Rose]

Damien had his question answered just by the gestures seen by the two. His brow furrowed, as he realized that more than likely, the little blonde only had that one, miniature guardian of hers. When Cambria said her piece on how fragile lives were, a bigger frown could be seen on his face. It would make it clear to the rest of them, that the man had indeed had his fair share of loss. Without much thought, the man extended a hand and ever so gently, he softly pet the blonde girl. He realized his question had overstepped a boundary it shouldn't have. Though he frowned, the air he gave off was serene and seemed to even attempt to console the young girl. That was when he made up his mind...

"Looks like I'm tagging along then." He said briefly and seriously. His hand had long since left the head of the girl and he peered down at both her and the Ursa. Beast's gaze was firm and showed that he wasn't joking. "No offense, but I don't think a kid and her... Ursa, are going to do much except make the enemies you're looking for laugh. Especially if there's anything bigger out there. Not to mention, with that she-demon running around, there's a small chance you'll end up meeting with her and I won't be there to save you, so I'm coming, whether you like it or not." Damien explained rather easily and continued to gaze upon the two. The man awaited to hear an ear full of this and that, from Cambria, so he prepared himself for it. A deep breath was taken so he could focus himself.

What sort of situation had he landed in? Tsukuyomi was in this world and now he had to babysit a little girl and her teddy bear. There was some cruel twist of that, that decided to mess with the werewolf. Damien's eyes trailed upwards to the night sky and he looked towards the moon, trying to figure out what he was going to do with himself. It'd be great if he had more of his comrades with him, namely Marigold, since she'd give him a better direction. More than likely, she'd just suggest to take the young girl into the family. That'd be a better alternative, rather than having to run around and all that stuff. Nonetheless, he didn't mind doing it, just wished that the young girl hadn't been so lonely. That was, after all, the father figure in him speaking. Damien wouldn't dare let Clarisse run off on her own and get hurt. Especially after she had that traumatizing encounter with the she-demon.

[Clarisse]

The hand on her head startled the child, causing her to jump a little. Looking up with a tear-filled eye and blinking, her head tipped slightly to the side every time Damien pet her. She couldn't decipher the reason behind his frown, but his presence was comforting nonetheless. It was really nice... something her parents would do that she missed.

Sniffling, Clarisse reached up a hand to wipe away her tears, her cheeks a deep shade of red. When the hand was gone from her head, Beast would find Cambria glaring daggers at him from partway behind the summoner's arm. This guy. This guy right here. Stepping into her parental territory, thinking he can just take over in comforting her little Clair-bear with such ease. It was the damn dog's fault in the first place for upsetting her in the first place. What right had he in trying to make her feel better? And then he offers to follow them in the guise of concern? More like w-

The Ursa's train of thought was broken by the soft poking at her cheeks and turned to look up at the blond. Clarisse looked down at her with a soft pout on her face. It was easy for her to tell that she was scared. The poor thing was already afraid of the dark, the heartless, the forest, and just about everything else in the current situation. All she wanted to do was help nurture the latent powers she knew Clarisse possessed, give her something to feel more confident about. Cambria was of the thought that if she could feel more confident, even just a little, it would snowball and the child would start expanding her small world. She'd been compliant with the Ursa's demands thus far simply for the fact that she didn't want to be alone, not because she wanted to do any of it. It was a selfish demand, and Cambria was beginning to accept that. Baby steps. That's what Clarisse needed.

There was a deep sigh that passed through the summon's maw. “Since I don't see you givin' us much choice in the matter, I suppose it'll be alright. But the moment you lay a finger on Clair-bear, or scare her in any way, I will rip the eyes from your sockets an' feed them to whatever carnivorous fiend I feel like. Got it?” Cambria spoke matter-of-factually, trying to keep a cap on her anger, and hopped down from the youth's lap. With a glance of irritation, she started waddling away towards the forest line. It wasn't any fault of Clarisse's, but due to her inexperience, the Usra was left rather weak. It just stung to admit to that weakness. Much like Damien at the moment, little to her knowledge, she was at such a small fraction of her power. So there was a current strength in numbers that she wasn't going to deny. She wasn't happy, that much was obvious.

Which confused the little summoner. She was grasping at straws trying to figure out what was going on in her companion's head. Casting a concerned glance at her, Clarisse stumbled to her feet and brushed the grass from her white dress. She didn't want to be left behind, but was torn between catching up to her and ensuring that Damien was indeed going to follow them. His announcing that he'd follow them back to the town left her anxious with how he said it, but safe in the fact that he was a good doggie that already saved them once. She could count on him to keep them safe a little longer. Right? Looking to Damien, he was staring up at the moon. The child was a little hesitant to disturb him, and so the hand she had outstretched stopped midway to his. Looking over her shoulder, she seen that Cambria was almost gone into the foliage.

Wait... Please wait, Cammie... the child pleaded within her mind.

[Damien Rose]

Damien had awaited an answer from either the talking teddy-bear, or the defenseless blonde. Without much surprise, the Ursa spoke up and started on how she'd punish him for this or that. His attention had continued to focus on the moon, but had drifted off somewhere else momentarily. He had heard empty threats like that before and didn't much care for them. The man's first thought was what he were going to do with Clarisse and Cambria. They weren't much of anything in the outside world in terms of defending themselves and that's what worried him the most. He couldn't just leave them off in some uncharted world, unless he had a clear-cut thought that they would be safe where he left them. A small grumble escaped his lips, but he focused his attention back on the duo, when the bear started to waddle off. An eyebrow was raised and he turned his attention to Clair.

His used a hand gesture to catch her attention and when he made sure Cammy had turned her back on them and waddled off a bit, he started to sign to the young girl. "Your pet teddy-bear seems upset. We probably shouldn't let her wander off too far without us." After he did so, Damien leaned over and with two gentle hands, picked up the girl as if she were still a baby. No effort was put into him placing her gently upon his left shoulder. The man turned his fierce, yet oddly warm gaze over to her. His expression had softened up a bit. Once more, he signed to her. "Comfortable enough? Let's get going."

Without much hesitation, the werewolf stood up from where he once sat and kept an eye on the foliage. He followed in the footsteps of the Ursa and found that catching up with her wasn't much of a problem. She were similar to a penguin or a really chubby cub, so with his long legs, he was able to cut the distance traveled to her down by a considerable amount. When they all finally caught up, he looked down towards Cambria with a rather aloof demeanor.

"You're free to hop on, bear. It'd be a lot faster if you could point out where you two were going. That way, we could just cut travel time in half. Up to you though." Damien said easily. Something told him the woman wasn't going to like how the young girl was suddenly on his shoulder. But something else told him that he really shouldn't care.

[Clarisse]

The little blond looked to Damien as he grumbled, and seen how he was looking at her. She jumped a little with a shy blush on her face, but turned her eyes back when she seen the werewolf trying to grab her attention and start to sign to her. Clarisse blinked a few times, both surprised and pleased that he was able to sign as well. In response to his first sentence, the youth shook her head, her silky blond locks following her motions. “Cammie isn’t my pet, or a teddy bear…” She shyly corrected him. She wasn’t given the time to respond to his second statement as she was picked up and placed on his shoulder. The act had startled her at first, her eyes widening far as she looked down at her dangling feet.

She wouldn’t have been heavy at all for someone like the Beast, and fit snugly on his shoulder. It was almost as if it were made for her. Her right arm had instinctively wrapped around his head as far as it could, and she looked at him with her bright green-blue orb as he signed to her again. She nodded in response with a small, nervous smile. After that, Damien stood and started to follow the direction that the Ursa had walked off in. Thankfully, her little legs didn’t let her get too far into the forest.


Cambria was secretly relieved when she heard the sound of heavy footsteps behind her, a sign that the two were following her. But.. her ears only pick up on one set. Gazing over her shoulder with an indifferent expression, the Ursa’s face immediately soured. Her little Claire-bear was sitting on his shoulder, looking at her with a shy smile. She bonded too quick with such a short-tempered man, and she didn’t like it one bit. “I’m just fine as I am, thank you.” She retorted to Damien’s offer with a tone of pride, her chin held high.

Had he been looking, Damien would see the gentle pout that formed on the child’s face. She just wanted to get out of the forest and back to town as quick as she could. The darkness seemed to be growing thicker and she was trying to stay strong. Cammie always told her to ‘have faith in the face of your fears’. Reaching out a hand to the bear, Clarisse failed in getting her attention. She then turned to Damien. She was about to sign to him, hesitated a moment as she was unsure if she should bother him with such a request, but asked him anyways. “Could you please pick her up anyways and bring her to me?” She asked him, with a nervous, sheepish smile.

[Damien Rose]

The only response Damien had given to Clarisse's correction, was a simple huff. The reality of the situation was that he didn't care all too much what she was, just that she had a temper, much like him. There wasn't much to be said after that, so the man continued on his path, with the little girl on his shoulder. It all felt so familiar to him, having a little one hug herself close to his head, out of comfort and a want for protection. A thought of his former family ran through his mind and rather than upset him in an angry way, his face turned sullen. That was such a long time ago what had happened to them, yet the cuts ran deep and they'd stay open for quite some time.

His mind was pulled away from such negativity, when the Ursa spoke up. All he could do was just raise an eyebrow at her and had half a mind to just up and walk ahead of her. The purpose behind that action would have taught Cammie that he was faster than the both of them on ground, regardless of what sort of situation they were in. A way to show that both their safety sort of relied in his ability, to get them out of that god forsaken forest fast enough to avoid any confrontation. His pace nearly picked up too and it would have, if the young girl hadn't asked for him to pick the bear up. He nodded easily.

"The little one and I say otherwise." Was all he said, as a single hand reached out and grabbed the small bear-woman. Damien easily handed her over to the child and with that, set himself on a bit of a faster pace. The darkness unnerved him, but it wasn't something he feared. One that only mattered to him at the moment, was to secure the eyepatch girl and her pet. "Do you two know exactly where I should be going?" A question arose. Easily enough, the werewolf could have sniffed out a path if he wanted to, yet that would have taken a lot more time. Hopefully the duo upon his shoulder were prudent enough to mark their trails. Should that not be the case, Beast figured he'd just follow his nose.

[Clarisse]

Clarisse was oblivious to the expression the werewolf wore, as well as the thoughts that ran through his mind. Though, much like him, she was without a family. Cammie was all she had left, and even then, the Ursa was just a parental figure. She did what she could, but there was still much the child missed. True, Clarisse didn’t get to spend much time with her parents due to their duties to their country, but the time she did get to spend with them was remembered with great love and happiness. She was sure at some point, she sat like this on her father’s shoulder… But who knew? The girl had always been too apprehensive to ask her late grandmother or Cambria what her parents were like. All she knew is what she heard, and even then, it was only in whispers.

Cambria would have been apprehensive in answering if asked anyways. Not that she would have denied the girl the honest truth, but who knew what she’d do with that info? At any rate, it seemed as though, in their current decision, her fate was sealed. The big brute picked her up and, as she kicked and thrashed about, was handed to Clarisse. With a grunt of disapproval, the Ursa accepted her fate and settled into Clarisse’s embrace. From there, Damien picked up the pace and started off, only to ask if the two of them knew where to go.

“Heh… Clair-bear took off in such a fright when she heard a howl, that she ran blind in whatever direction she was facin’. But…” Cambria trailed off to look around the immediate area. For the most part, it appeared exactly as it was, a foreign forest in a foreign world. She would have sighed at her carelessness for not taking better care in noting where they were, but stuffed it into her bag of pride. There was a single direction from where they stood, where several low-hanging branches and the like had snapped. That seemed like a good direction to start off at. Pointing a nubby paw in that direction, she stated with a bit of confidence, “...I do believe we came from that way. We were walkin’ for quite a ways before then, but then again, we ladies have dainty legs. Shouldn’t be all that hard for the likes of you.” She said as she tapped the side of the man's head.

Clarisse looked all around as they ventured further, hoping that they would get out soon. She was getting increasingly sleepy, and her eyes getting heavy. It was the middle of the night, after all. Or perhaps it was early morning by now. Either way, it was way past her bedtime, and her body was in shutdown mode. The child fought hard to stay awake, though. Damien’s presence seemed enough to comfort her, and make her feel secure enough to let the earlier adrenaline fade. Letting Cammie and Damien focus on getting them out, she looked around, and up. At the trees, and the stars that blinked between the leaves, and the moon that shone bright. It was like a big night-light in the sky, casting away the darkness that would have otherwise surrounded them. Clair liked the moon. It was very pretty...

[Damien Rose]

"Hmph, so short answer is you don't know... Perfect." Damien grumbled and let the teddy-bear get away with patting the side of his head with her nubs. Whatever the case was, he had a direction to follow and it was better off than just the two of them bickering with one another. His pace had picked up once he had personally chose the destination in which they were to journey to. All throughout, the brute stayed quiet and wouldn't speak unless spoken to. That was how he became after all, ever since working with the Darkson's. Upon that thought, he remembered why he was there in the first place and upon doing so, the man grimaced while on their journey. "Florenthal..." His voice came at a low, angered rumble.

Very briefly did he remember that the woman sent him through some odd tear in space, or what he assumed was one. He had a lot of experience with those to understand how it felt being throttled into one. The Seeress had located his nemesis, who he had thought was long since gone... Should that have been the case though, his anger would have subsided, as vengeance settled out of the course of his body. Currently, the thoughts of killing Tsukyomi just ran through his mind over and over, like a never ending stream of consciousness that gripped at him considerably. The burden was so great at times, he burst into major fits of anger when the rush of events broke his mental barriers. That would have happened now of all times and places, especially after meeting that woman again. Luckily for him, however, he had a kid to take care of. A kid and her companion, who for all intents and purposes, just got mixed up by accident.

Unlike the blonde who sat upon her shoulder, Damien's eyes remained forward and he wondered about the rest of the Darkson family. Would have been great if they offered some form of assistance, especially with finding a home for these two, but granted from what Cambria had spoken about earlier, there was no home. A deep sigh came from his lips as he mulled over the thoughts. Maybe he should take them with? He already carried the two of them on his shoulders without asking, practically, so he might as well provide them a shelter while he was at it. All he needed to do was just communicate with Marigold or any of the main family, and he would have been golden. Yet, the werewolf had to make heads or tails of where he was at least at first, before he could even attempt to reach out to them. This could have been an odd world or universe, in which magic couldn't be conducted in a simple manner, a thought that riled him up a bit.

[Clarisse]

With Cambria wrapped up in her arms, and feeling secure enough to grow comfortable, little Clarisse had began to drift off. Her head bobbed a few times, before finally falling over and resting itself atop the Beast’s. His quick pace, and the slight bounce that was caused by his steps didn’t disturb the young one in the least. Soft, gentle breaths could be heard as the girl fell asleep just like that.

The Ursa had noticed the child’s fading in and out pretty quickly. The little one’s arms had loosened from around her, and Cambria had to readjust her position on Clair’s lap to remain there. As she did so, the low, aggravated grumble that came from Damien. She cast her beady black eyes over to him with a questionable, “Hm?” She was mildly interested in what got his panties all in a jumble, but beyond that one sound, the Ursa wasn’t going to inquire any further.

As for Cammie, herself, she was thinking deeply on a topic quite similar. Not of vengeance, but of a home for her little Clair-bear. The girl did indeed have a home- Or rather, a building that belonged to her family. There was a saying that she remembered. “A house is built with boards and beams. A home is built with love and dreams.” In this instance, it was very much true. There was somewhere that Clarisse could return to, a place to rest her head. But the bottom line was, was that it was an empty place now, filled with sad memories. The Ursa wanted to avoid giving the young one reminders of the happy life she used to have with her family. It was the initial reason for bringing her on such an adventure, at any rate.

Clarisse was weak, and needed to be trained to tap into her latent power. A power that even the great Cassiopeia had high hopes in. But, she needed to remove herself from her sorrows. What better way to do that, than to go adventuring and seeing all the worlds had to offer? In the end, all Cambria wanted was for Clarisse to be happy. Even if… Even if that happiness was in the company of another.

Her eyes, for a second time scanned over Damien. A deep sigh reached her ears, and the Ursa wondered what it was that was racing through his mind. With a slight cough directed into her paw, the bear looked off to the side, trying her best to appear and sound indifferent. “If somethin’ is weighin’ on your mind, feel free to just say it. The girl’s asleep, so you don’t have any need to worry.” She said to him, with her strong southern accent.

[Damien Rose]

The child had fallen asleep upon his shoulder, to which he felt her head rest against his own. That definitely brought back memories of when he used to care for his own little pup, back when his family was still alive. The way how she rested on him seemed to just fit the two. A natural little hellion his own daughter was as opposed to the quiet, bi-color eyed girl who now occupied that space. Another gentle sigh managed to escape his lips and all throughout their walk, he didn't mean for any of his complaints to become vocalized in any way. More or less, there was the possibility that his anger hadn't quite settled like how he planned it to be, and so, the furry companion managed to pick up on his musings.

Cambria asked him what was wrong and if there was something on his mind, then he should have spoken up. Clarisse slept, but that didn't exactly make Damien all too comfortable with wanting to speak. Though he helped him then and now, that still didn't make him any more warmer to the both of them. They didn't need to get mixed up with him anymore than he already was... Yet, he thought it silly that he wanted to still bring them under the Darkson's protection. Maybe that was because he trusted Marigold to handle a kid and her talking teddy-bear better than he could, considering that he didn't feel as though he was deserving of such a task. After the death of those he loved, the werewolf felt quite inadequate as a person and never really recovered from that own self doubt. Incidentally, this only translated to the man letting out a gruff expression rather than a worded response, to the Ursa's concern.

"It's nothing. I'm just worried about getting you two to safety is all." His voice was rough but one couldn't deny the concern that was laced behind it. "Maybe I can have someone help you two out. After all, I'm now thrust onto a sudden personal mission and would rather not have you two wrapped up in it like before." Damien said easily. "To that end, I will attempt to try and get you both somewhere that obviously isn't here. If only I knew how this place worked, I could have arranged for someone else to handle you two..."

[Clarisse]

Sighs, grunts, curt expressions. The werewolf sure made it known that he wasn’t pleased with the situation. But underneath it all, Cambria couldn’t sense a single ounce of maliciousness. Despite his rough nature, Damien seemed to mean well. That, however, only served to peak the Ursa’s curiosity even more. Just what had happened to this man to make him the way he is? She remembered hearing something earlier when they encountered that woman, but at the time was unable to comprehend the meaning.

He was persistent in the idea of getting them to safety, likely from that same woman. That much was clear. Even still, Cambria let out a deep sigh. “So then you’d push us off on someone else, would you? Like it or not, but we’re already wrapped up in whatever it is that you’ve got goin’ on. An’, as much as I hate to admit it, Clarisse had already imprinted on you. So not only do I have my own personal score to settle with that wench, but Clair ain’t gonna let you vanish into the night, sir. ‘Fraid you’re stuck with us, now.”

The Ursa spoke begrudgingly, but meant what she said. If the little one was comfortable enough to settle on this man’s shoulder, then she had a great deal of trust in him. That alone got Cambria’s little bear bloomers in a bundle, but at least Clarisse was warming up to someone. Her insufferable bashfulness and shy nature made doing many things difficult. Perhaps this was just a step forward for her.

“So what will you do, werewolf? Allow us to remain with you for a time? Or hand us off to another, and have a sad, pouty Claire attempt to seek you out? She may be small and helpless, but if she truly wants somethin’, she’ll do what she must to get it.” The Ursa gave Damien a sidelong glance, a small smile playing her lips as though she were challenging him to resist the summoner’s adorable charms.

[Damien Rose]

"..." Damien said nothing and only looked forward with what appeared to be, the blankest, yet not blank expression, that conveyed the annoyance he felt, yet remained as blank as possible face. Not only did the Ursa try to play the guilt trip card on him, but used the word "imprint," as a way to enlighten him on the situation he was currently placed in. How did such a young thing like Clarisse, already become attached to him? That in of itself didn't make sense and presented even more problems. Not just that, but she was apparently persistent for a girl of her age. Problematic was all he got from Cammie's explanation.

"One thing at a time, okay? Just let me think, dammit..." The werewolf tried to deflect the conversation and possibly end it. All he knew, was that he had a plan, and wanted to have it executed. Get these two to someone capable, so he could deal with the Moon's Eminence. There was nothing but trouble, if she just wantonly wandered the world, and did whatever she pleased with no one to stop her. Damien would be the one to stop her, no matter what the cost. Thus, he needed to create distance between himself and the pair upon his shoulder. There can be no attachments, no feelings whatsoever, lest even they fall to that beast's hands...

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