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Okay seemed an understatement judging by the attack, and it was comical enough to make him laugh. "I see yer point," he joked. He needed to be better at predicting where it'd land, though. (Or better yet, just plain old faster.)

"S'alrigh', hun, I hear even the most Huntery folks still get trouble with 'em charges." Dawson back away and attempted to zigzag as he had before, intent on swinging if she didn't stop him cold. "Most the time mine don' even last longer than a few seconds."

Hp: 21
Defense: 2

"Darlin', you are just the cutest," he cooed. Every time someone talked about family on the island with that sort of pride and love, Dawson absorbed a little of it; rays of sunshine in a stark white world. He had no family left to speak of, but it was nice to catch some of the sun reflecting off others.

His heart twisted at that lonely reminder for more than one reason. Noemi thankfully hit him hard enough to give him a great distraction. He might have overdid the recoil just to lighten things up for himself, stumbling over his feet even though he knew where they were planted, yelping a little like Goofy as his shield nearly was knocked from his grasp, tilting dangerously but managing not to flat out fall.

"Jinkies, tha's more like it!" Dawson encouraged her with a wincing smile as he straightened back up; his legs continued with aftershocks of pain but he ignored them. "Me, naw, s'far's I know there ain' a soul cursed t'be related to me comin' forward, heh. Bet it's nice t'have family here, though, dangerous as it is. Least ya'll can do somethin' n' not worry 'bout if they okay."

He delicately toed around other family, like mothers, fathers, other siblings, grandparents...

Hp: 13
Defense: 1

He made a quick attack just to keep Noemi on her toes. "Shu? Yeah, uh, she's that chick with the animal hoodie, right?" Dawson asked as he tried to remember the face from Twitter. Stormy he vaguely remembered from a few days ago, when Chel had asked him to back off from defending her against Jack; this really was a small island.

He spread into a slow, knowing grin when she brought up Milo. "A boy, huh?"

hp: 13
damage: 2

"Cee, huh?" His own cheeks turned a delicate shade of pink as he remember the sort of person she was based on her Twitter account. "Y-Yeah, she's....she's somethin' else, huh?"

< Focus. >

It hard to, though. Noemie was wearing him down fast (not that he was complaining; Good Burn and all), and he was finding it harder and harder to brace his shield for more attacks. "Is he now?" Dawson prompted her teasingly, obviously wanting to hear more--or to at least see how flustered she got. He didn't fail to see the irony of how Maebe and sometimes Horace did the same to him. Her question about family, however, went unanswered.

hp: 8
defense: 3

"Aww~ Good fer you, hun," Dawson told her sincerely, backing off on the teasing now that there was a confession out. "Crazy s**t out here's hard t'work with on yer own sometimes. Long s'the fella treats ya right, yeah?"

hp: 8
defense: 6

He seemed to perk the more she describe Milo in the same way he had when Noemi talked about her cousin. Dawson fed off good words regardless of who they were directed at, like a flower tilting towards the sun. (Though it certainly helped to be her first non-nervous encounter, a small detail to others but Important to him, if just for today.)

"I'm good, darlin'," he assured her right before attempting to roll his shoulders. He winced as something didn't feel right. "....Well okay, just one more, then I'll have ta call it quits. Hit me with yer best shot!"

hp: 8
defense: 3

He cringed in recoil before the trident touched him--then made a confused noise as he felt his barrier get replenished. It didn't do much for his present exhaustion, though Syn did report that it had helped her mend Fear up much faster. (Albeit, with some disgust; she really didn't like water, illusions or otherwise.)

"Tha' ya are, hun. Thanks." Exhaling a chuckle, he desummoned his shield and rubbed at his arms where some of the hits had collected in a certain area. "M'starvin'! Hope ya don' mind cookin' fer two." Dawson pat his belly for emphasis.