[right][img]https://i.imgur.com/LgbtnEJ.png[/img]
[sub][@Scribe of Thoth] [@ThatCharacter][/sub][/right]
In the countless dangerous situations she has put herself in, both willingly and accidentally, Imogen learned that trusting her gut was the only way to go. One time she ignored it and she very nearly died, falling down the side of a mountain. When attempting to explain this to Caius, she ended up likening it to something sitting on her shoulder, always on the lookout, and she sorta just stuck with the conceit. It would alert her when there’s something wrong, way before she’d even notice it. She liked to imagine that ‘something’ as that funny-looking creature she uses as a keychain for her bag: a green bear-like thing with wide eyes good for spotting things and a silly name like Dogberry, because why not.

[i]Anyway.[/i] Sometimes, Dogberry just whispers for her to be careful. Sometimes, it seems likes he’s tugging on her ear, telling her to look a certain way. Dogberry didn’t do anything while the two riders approached so Imogen believed they meant no harm. She meant to tell Princey as much, because he had seemed worried enough to come running after her. And Jory too, because he sounded like his usual playful self but also somehow like he was scolding her and that stung.

[color=ffb5c2]“Don’t worry, it’s safe--”[/color] she started to say, but then Dogberry whispered and it was followed by a thwack on the head. [color=ffb5c2]"Ow!"[/color] It was mostly reflexive—getting hit by rolled-up paper wasn't that big of a deal, even if the one doing was decorated knight who gave it his all—but also partly in protest. Wasn't she showing initiative or whatever it was they were taught in class last time? Why was she being punished for it?

As Professor Euphie shooed the three of them back to the group, Imogen caught parts of what the two riders were saying. [color=ffb5c2]"They do need help!"[/color] she exclaimed with short-lived enthusiasm as she processed the rest of the riders' news. 

Then before she knew it, she was hurtling toward Kel, her hands firmly pressing against his ears as soon as she reached him. As if on cue, a loud explosion thundered from the distance. It wasn't anywhere close, like she initially thought it would be, but still she looked helplessly at Iz, who was a bit further away from her. At least Der was near her! Of their so-called Rose Unit, Imogen had picked out Iz and Kel as the ones to watch over, skittish as they seemed. In her head, she had unconsciously associated them with a bunny and kitty respectively, and that had made her all the more protective.

When her internal warning bells seemed to have turned off—in her Dogberry explanation, this is when he says 'everything's fine, you can relax'—Imogen patted Kel on the head to reassure him, tiptoeing in order to reach. Although, she figured that wouldn't help much in making him feel better, seeing as Aubie was looking especially strict at the moment and she could only imagine what that meant for the Blues. Imogen hoped he didn't mean to force them into tagging along, at the very least. Like for her fellow deer, she had a feeling Jory and Clary wouldn't pass something like this up, but she wouldn't be forcing Iz to go if she was frightened. That hardly seemed fair.

[color=ffb5c2]"Jory, Clary, I'm going first!"[/color] she called out as she jumped into the weapons cart and dug through what's left in there. 

After retrieving her own sword, she followed Aubie into the carriage and sat across him, staring at him idly as they waited for everyone else to join. More than anyone, even Professor Mik, Aubie had fit the image of a classic knight in her head. Like the ones from her childhood storybooks, except crankier. Normally, she would have told a couple of bad jokes by now, in her ongoing endeavor to see if she could make the ever-serious Lion crack, but it didn't seem right with actual lives on the line. 

Instead, she offered him a sheepish grin. [color=ffb5c2]"Ready to kick some bandit butt?"[/color]