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On Syntyche's orders, Dawson marched himself to the training fields one Wednesday mid-morning to practice because wow. Just wow. His first battle had to have been just beginner's luck for having him last that long, and he hadn't even won that one in the end because he got too scared to continue against Chance's arrows. And that had been a contest for free food! And a date with Abbi! Wow. Don't even get her started on that battle in the Haunted House.

Dawson. Baby. Bae. My sweetest sugarcub. You're an unapologetic coward and we need to fix that.

So there he was on the field, cap snug on his bedhead, yawning, picking bacon out of his teeth with his tongue, anxious to approach someone for help. How did you go about doing that without embarrassing yourself? Answer: it's impossible, you will embarrass yourself, someone will probably mistake you for a dummy because of all the fluff you have and also oh right you're also literally a dummy, let's just give up now and go check the dungeon plumbing again, he swore he heard something leaking again--

Don't you even think about it.

He did deer everywhere justice with the way he froze and gaped at his captor. Ohgoshshewastall. Then Dawson's eyes darted down to the gun pressed against him and squeaked. Sure, Syn could remind him that he literally wouldn't die from one simple shot, but some things were just going to stay ingrained in him, and that was the very strong impulse to not get shot at, even if it was by a tall pretty lady.

"Uh--Uh--I--Uh--I-I think?"

He breathed an audible sigh of relief once he was freed and then proceeded to gulp. Hopefully he hadn't just said yes to someone who would thoroughly kick his a** in seconds. (She looked confident, that was probably a good sign that she would, crap.)

"I-I, uh...thanks," Dawson mumbled for lack of something to say as he summoned his shield. A snarling horned lion stared at his opponent as he tried to remember what stance to take. "M'not very good at this, so, uh, sawry if I ain't mucha challenge, ma'am...But I'ma do my best for ya." He tugged his cap down with a nervous smile.

"Yes, ma'am, I do. Uh, I-I mean, yes, miss! Uh--"

His face gained color as he stumbled over himself--first metaphorically and then literally as a shot to his leg threw him off balance. Dawson whimpered and hopped to his other foot even though it was perfectly fine.

"Sawry. But, uh, yeah, she's good fer it," Dawson replied with hesitant pride; he knew fighting with just a shield wasn't exactly orthodox. Having a sword to go with it would've been nice. "See 'cause like, I can handle stuff in defense n', uh, I can also do this!"

Eager to prove himself, the young man charged.

hp: 36
damage: 6
charge: 1/3

"Cap'n? Yes'm!" He made to salute and nearly gouged his own shield with one of the spikes on his weapon. At least he took the second shot a little better than the first once his body remembered it wasn't going to literally Shoot Hurt like that.

But...wait. Did that mean she used to be like in the navy or something? Did they have a rank of captain there? Oh s**t it would be just his luck to pick a fight with someone from the navy s**t s**t.

Visibly more hesitant now, Dawson didn't this time but rather kept close to his shield, only doing a quick side swipe when he got his nerves together. "Dawson Grace at yer service, m--Cap'n," he said dutifully. "New Moon guy. Kinda still tryna get m'bearin's n' such, hah..." If that wasn't obvious by now. "I gotta ask: ya got a ship?"

hp: 31
damage: 1
charge: 2/3

"Real new, like, uh...Month n' a half, two months?" he guesstimated. It felt like the days dragged into one another some days. "S'why m'not used ta alla...uh. This."

He wasn't sure how to put into words something like getting shot at but not mortally and returning fire with a shield who talked in his head. He chuckled a little at the problem.

"What kinda ship ya lookin' for?" Dawson asked as they traded blows (or, well, shots and swings really). "Ya ain't gonna find 'em like a real pirate anymore, but ya thinkin' somethin' just as big? Iunno if they still make 'em those sizes, but a frigate's got a good load bearin' weight fer cannons, like at least twenny, n' ya got lugger's fer smugglin' cargo--"

Focus!

hp: 27
damage: 4
charge: 3/3

"Mmm...Somethin' between..." Dawson scratched the hairs on his chin thoughtfully. "I, uh, I could look inta that fer ya. Moon's got a buncha supplies. Maybe we gotta log in more hours n' then they'll let us?" He had absolutely no idea why Deus would have a flotilla or where it was, but if it meant pretty tall lady liked him, he'd give it a go.

Syn purred in the lull in battle, a soft reminder. Perking at the suggestion to look good, Dawson pulled his cap down and activated the charge. Fire lit up from the inside of the shield's open mouth and coated him, making the outlines of his shield flicker into view before it all disappeared. This time he didn't flinch as he expected the fire to cover him, and he smiled a little hopefully that maybe it made him look cool.

"Ya got a charge, yeah?" He patted his shield (good girl) before taking a solid stance behind it. "Let 'er rip, I'll be good!" He figured this was what good Moons would suggest at any rate, prep the defense and hope they could take the heat.

T2 BARRIER IN EFFECT: 10/10 (1/2 turns)
hp: 27
damage: 0
charge: 0/3

"Oh, uh...So y'can...break it faster...?" He thought it had been a good idea, except waiting sounded better; he knew this wasn't going to last.

Dawson's gulp was audible as he hid behind his two shields. "Yer right, prolly is," he caved a little sullenly as he tried to swing Syn at her, then switched back to a more buoyant attitude. "Welp, good thing they don't pay me t'make plans, yeah? My job's just t'make sure you do yours n' all, so f'it'll make ya a better Sun, go fer it!"

He seemed to have forgotten he had only come to the training fields to help himself.

"So uh, ya don't got that uh...accent. Like in the movies with Johnny Depp n' all? Where ya hail from, Cap'n?" he asked.

T2 BARRIER IN EFFECT: 5/10 (2/2 turns)
hp: 27
damage: maybe Dawson took away her bad dice and is slowly absorbing it for himself like a good swabbie
charge: 0/3