Can You Bleed (o)

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The thundering of the waves crashed, hissing and burning through to the ground. His heart ached and he wanted to find the rage that was deep within him, but it was already gone. It was already thrown over the black steps that led to hell, coated in blood. The bodies were meaningless, but they were distinctly wolf. The cannibal had been enraged and he hardly remembered the last three days. What had happened, where had he gone in his head to the point where he was lost to the world for so long?

The question was on his tongue, and at the same time he could not find it within himself to speak on the matter. His choices seemed crushed, and his body tensed under his fur to a point that he thought that the pain would cripple him. His own scars were not to be ignored, but he stared at the gory body parts strewn around him like a peaceful art picture and whimpered quietly. It was all a mess, none of it made sense.

At the same time, sense was all that Kerberos knew. He was the King of the Coast and his word was the fallen law; there was no one who could deny him and he had cause to make sure it remained that way. His instincts burned to a point where he thought he might choke on the vile tastes in his mouth, but it was not to be that way. Instead, his eager body had seized the chance to rip into flesh, and he caused his mouth to twist in a way that promised horror.

This was a chaos night, days, gone wrong. It was a pleasure to see the twitching ears flicking in the wind, no long attached and just covered in the horrors of life. It was not a pleasure to see the heads looking so defiant, so horrified at the same time but he accepted it smoothly. This was the choice that he had come up against and there was no reason for him to ignore it. His loins burned with lust, and he found himself wanting to salivate.

Perhaps this should have been the start of his breeding season, wry words mocked. The scene certainly caused him a pleasure that could not be denied, and his tongue ran over blood lips with a confidence. There was a piece of his fur hanging off the side of his shoulder, kept there only by the half torn flesh that bobbed. The bleeding had stopped at some point, but the necropsy of the flesh had not gotten to the point where it had come away.

He looked like a monster because that was what he was.

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Namiko was worried. Kerberos had disappeared days ago, and she'd caught rumours on the wind that no-one knew what had happened to him. There was a edginess to the wind that was balmy now that winter was making way for spring. Prickles of foreboding had been plaguing her over the past 24 hours, making her skittish and jumpy. When sunrise had come and gone and there was still no sign of life, she set off. The white female was hardly sure whether it would constitute proper behaviour or not. Ever since that horrid day of complete submission in the face of Kerberos' latest female...victim, something had shifted between them. She couldn't put a paw on it precisely. She understood that she had lost a hand in this vicious game of cards that her alpha insisted on playing. She supposed she had been quite willing to accept her lot. Nico's words still ghosted through her mind sometimes - that she would have to play the part of Kerberos' chosen one. Maybe she just needed to fall so far in order to make a convincing show of it. She headed out, pointing her face into the wind's gentle caress. She would head out to the ocean first. She hadn't seen her beloved waves in weeks! From there she could worry about finding the dark wolf. She moved quickly and silently, slipping through the undergrowth like a breathing ghost. As soon as she was clear of the dens, she bounced into a smooth lope, wincing at the stiffness in her muscles. Lying around in boredom really wasn't doing her any good. The lack of bountiful food wasn't helping her muscles stay in any sort of shape as well. Soon she was forced to slow down to a trot, her tongue lolling from the corner of her mouth. She took the remainder of the journey to the shore at a more sedate pace, ears constantly twisting to catch sounds that may indicate pursuit. A small part of he hated this constant need for vigilance. The larger part of her simply accepted this, and moved on. She stopped by one of the many rock pools, sea-green orbs making out the darting shapes of the trapped fish. An easy meal, and one she wasn't likely to pass up on. Goodness knew when Maxim would next deign to bring her something edible to eat! She moved from rock pool to rock pool until her stomach was full to bursting, and not even the smallest of crabs would fit on top. Then she waded into the ocean, the cold water chilling her and bringing a smile to her face. The water was quiet, small waves lapping at her paws in a gentle welcome. Namiko sighed deeply, the tension in her features eased away as she let the simple pleasure of the water soothe her aches and worries. She bathed, working the dirt out of the white pelt and generally just giving herself a spring clean.  She picked her way delicately along the shore, loathe to leave the rhythmic whooshing of the waves. She scrambled across the rocks, the wind picking up the further up the coast she walked. The sun was well on its descent when she caught sight of him, perched on the cliffs above the now foamy sea.  "I'll look after myself, don't worry" she muttered to the ocean, her sense of foreboding increasingly hundredfold as her gaze rested unwaveringly on the broad silhouette. She made her way towards him, bent tail hanging low. He didn't look right. There was a wildness coming off him that was frightening in a way that his anger wasn't. She felt her stomach roll uncomfortably as her gaze fell upon the tattered remains of what had definitely once been wolves.   "Kerberos, I..." she began without really knowing where she wanted to go with her speech. Her gaze then landed on the fold of skin hanging loosely from his shoulder and whatever she may have said was lost in the rush of worry for his health. "You're hurt!" Her outcry was soft, wide eyes staring at the deep wound in dismay. She moved closer before better judgement could recall her motions, her nose gently prodding the wound. It was beginning to fester, the flesh puffy and angry-looking. "You didn't clean it properly" she chided, her voice catching slightly. She hated seeing harm done. She really, really did. Cautiously she ran her tongue over the wound, grimacing at the bitter taste of the wound fluids and the bacteria that were beginning to make their home there. Still, what was a bit of nasty taste if it would patch the damage up nicely? "Speech"

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Kerberos was a powerful entity, but he was a danger to his own life. The fact of the matter was it was a bit too easy for him to snap and the results to be frightening. Picking a fight with those who he could not gauge, running into a chaotic situation without a second thought was not something a proclaimed King should have done. Where was the planning, where was the consideration for the welfare of those he owned and treasured? The fact of the matter was he no longer cared, and his cold eyes never left the ocean. Zarek's world seemed even thinner, more achievable than he ever would have assumed for his welfare.

The bodies were tossed around like ragdolls, and he was quite content to see them torn apart. There was bones that would gleam in the sunlight, and his head cocked as he considered the decaying process. It was a frightening one to be sure, it was one that was hard to learn about from the state of his mind. The chaos was a terrible feeling, it left him feeling ill and elated at the same time. His paws massaged the ground, and he considered what was the problem at hand. Why was he not satisfied for all that was dead about his paws while he still lived and stood among the ruins?

His tension was instant at the approaching paws, the sound of snapping against the ground as he slipped faintly. The sound of Namiko's approach was nothing compared to the deafening roar of her voice on his ears. Shaking his head, he found the ache from her voice a bit too much, trying to process what was being said. What was she doing here? Wasn't she dead from the cold - it was cold, wasn't it?

He couldn't remember. He couldn't fathom, but he stared at her, watched her mask crumble and a dozen different emotions play about her face. He stared, doubtful that he was about to understand her reasoning for being out here. Where was Maxim? Why wasn't he looking after her? it caused him to start with a soft, guttural growl that seemed out of context as she approached. But he never moved, just lowered his head and stiffened his posture, staring at her like he was looking through her - or not seeing her at all.

Grunting at her cry, his gaze swung to look at his body. It was a mess, it had been properly tortured by the claws and desperate teeth spurred on by the need to survive. It caused him to tilt his head, looking for a long moment fascinated by his own wounds. Tongue flicked out of her mouth, and the male could still taste the flesh of others between his teeth. Swallowing, his gaze reattached to the female, and he blinked once.

"Doesn't hurt." Short answer was quiet, "Battle scratch, not even a wound."

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By all rights, she should hate him. He and his ideals had ripped the quiet life from under her paws and introduced her to a world in which her place was far at the bottom of the pecking order. He worked things so differently to her, too intent on violence and bloodshed to try the compassion and understanding that she would employ. They were almost stark opposites, and she had all the justification in the world to hate him. Only she didn't. She wasn't sure why, though. There were times when the mere thought of him made her want to gnash her teeth in an angry frenzy; when his words and actions were callous and cruel. But somewhere, she knew that he could be different. Once or twice she had seen that softer, humaner side of him...and she couldn't just give him up like that. There was a kernel that could be saved, and she would try her hardest to bring that seed to full blossom. That was why she stood by his shoulder, dismayed by the deepness of the wound and further upset by the many other gashes and torn bits of skin that decorated his body. He who had always seemed so utterly invincible could bleed just the same as she. It was a sobering thought...but one that infused her with the tiniest bit of hope. When it came down to the very core of the matter, stripping away ideology and culture, they were almost precisely the same. His words were soft and brusque, reminding her that he was wound tighter than a spring and liable to explode at any moment. She ought to worry about her own safety, and still she hovered beside him. She cleaned his shoulder diligently, careful to use only as much pressure as was really necessary. He might say it didn't hurt, but there were times where she didn't believe him. Anyone who termed this a scratch was evidently not in the right frame of mind. She pulled back slightly, peering intently at the patch of fur that was attached by only the smallest strip of flesh. Leave it on, or pull it off? She nibbled her lip anxiously, unaware of the gaze that was resting on her. She wasn't a healer! She avoided accidents all her life, how on earth was she to know how to fix the product of an accident? "I don't know whether to leave it attached or not" she muttered after a long moment of indecision, nosing the piece of skin to demonstrate her point. She turned her head to sneak a cautious look at the male, her shoulders slumped both in deference and unhappiness at not being useful. "I don't know if pressing it to the wound is going to increase the risk of infection or decrease it." Her rump hit the ground with a desolate thump, a thin scowl of displeasure lining her features. Blue-grey orbs noted another long tear across his chest, the gash weeping clear fluid. She sighed deeply, shifting to look into his single eye. "You look a right mess." Her tones were free of judgement, laced only with a hint of sorrow at what had befallen him. She shuffled her paws, not able to hold his gaze for very long before letting it wander out to the foam on the waves below. "Speech"

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Kerberos

Kerberos was not the friendliest creature, but he was willing to accept the state of mind that he was supposed to accept. His shoulders tightened and he found himself wanting to snarl, but there was no energy in the notion. There was nothing telling him to give any reaction apart from the fact that Namiko had appeared. There was no addressing her with nicknames, there was none of that twinkle in his eyes. Instead, he listened to her words with just a little feeling of distaste.

When she spoke again, he attempted to fixate himself on the piece of flesh in question. She didn’t know what to do with it. His eyes never blinked, he just stared at it. Then, his head cocked very slowly, almost questioning himself as his jaws parted. Leaning his head toward the piece, he took it in his jaws. With a sudden jerk of his head, like he might have done with a seal or some other meal, the flesh came away with a sucking sound as the blood rose back to the surface and began its mad cry of protest.

Head then turned away from his wound, and he spit out the piece of his body toward the water, hoping it would be quickly washed out to the ocean. It could go to his father, and his father could start building his body for the next world. Attention never wavered, and it seemed like Kerberos had definitely left a part of his mind. “Flesh rots.” His growl was soft, “Would not reattach, better to come off.” Grunting, he offered the explanation, although he was not sure what was the purpose.

Looking at her again, his mouth twisted and he found himself wanting to snarl, but he swallowed it up before it was too late. This seemed like something out of a nightmare. As his paws massaged against the ground, his ears pushed against the top of his head, “They died.” His words were soft, “They’re messier.”

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She winced as he tore the scrap of flesh away, watching the first drop of crimson well up from the missing bit of flesh. His words were gruff - so much shorter than what she was used to. If he was angry with her, he would snarl and rant. If he wasn't, he would put a little more effort into his conversation. Kerberos now was in a mood that she could neither describe, nor anticipate what his next move would be. It had her heart beating rapidly against her chest, her flanks shuddering gently with each shallow breath. Her entire body was preparing itself...only she didn't have a clue for what. Perhaps he would just stalk off, maybe he would beat her for finding him. Or yet another possibility was for him to continue this art of almost ignoring her. It prickled at her senses, intuition trying to guard her from something it couldn't expect. Sad eyes looked at the mess of limbs and body parts strewn around them, the ground damp with the blood that had spilt. "Since they are dead, they cannot be put back together again" she answered matter-of-factly, as though that was justification enough for her irrational worry for his well-being. She dropped her gaze back to her paws, wondering how best to proceed. It was evident that something was weighing heavily on his mind. Something must have happened recently for him to engage in a battle he wasn't likely to escape completely unscathed. What would the pack think if he returned like this? Would he still be the unquestioned king, when he could be injured seemingly so easily? Indecision warred within her mind, niggling fingers of doubt prodding her this way and that. She wanted to help him; be there for him when he needed someone to keep him grounded. But so far, whatever help she had ever tried to give him had simply resulted in cutting remarks or punishment. As prudent as it would seem to remain silent and simply wait and see what happened, she couldn't. Seeing him in this odd state of not-quite-thereness brought an ache to her heart. This wasn't normal. And if it wasn't normal, then something needed to be done to rectify the state of affairs. She rocked backwards a little, curling her kinked tail protectively around her hind leg before searching for the right words. It was a painstaking process. One wrong word, a wrong inflection could set him off into a towering rage...and she had the sneaky feeling she'd end up like the wolves strewn around her - unrecognised save for a bloodied face. "You don't need to tell me what happened over the last few days" she began slowly, watching the waves with studied seriousness. "But I think it would do you good to get whatever is bothering you off your chest. You're not making a very kingly impression at the moment." "Speech"

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Kerberos

In some ways, it was a comfort to have the female who he fondly called his little wave with him. Although his mind was not connecting, was not making the jump from being comforted to going back to normalcy. She was speaking and pointed out things he needed to consider, and a direct communication seemed to be able to make him react. But his eyes were on her, then they were on the piece of flesh he had tossed off himself. It was going to rot, it was going to die bit by bit and she was going to have to watch it die with him, he supposed.

There was no feeling at the thought of spending time with her, there was no excitement this time around. It should have been his goal to replenish his females and to strengthen the front lines. He should have been looking after those who had been supposed to be his world. His head cocked to the side, and he found himself exhaling with a show of frustration. He wanted to come back to the spot he wanted to be in, the state of mind he would have found most useful. Somehow, he could not reach it. No matter how hard he attempted within the maze of his mind.

"King of the Coast needs not reach to the standards set by others." The rumble of his voice spoke like the proper tone expected on the matter, a little more like Kerberos than someone else. Shaking his head faintly, and his tail dropped down against his body, almost tempted to tuck between his sides. It seemed to be absolutely irrational, and he groaned softly with the pain that was playing on his temples.

"S-started with a blackout." The words were a warning, something he was not sure he wanted to explain. Still, almost as if he had been overcome with moments of weakness, he slid to the ground and let himself settle into the blood. The half closed eyes never raised to meet her, and he stared at his paws with a blatant feeling that could not be denied. He was feeling negative, and at the same time he wanted to lunge to his feet and run. Just run endlessly over the stones until he fell off a cliff side somewhere.

Grunting, his head dropped onto a pile of flesh effortlessly, ear flicking only faintly to the squish that whispered up to his ears. "Got a headache." His words continued, his tail lashed once across the stones, then stilled again. "Burned and burned, and then Zarek came in a dream stance. I was dreaming... not crazy, but dreaming..."

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Her lips turned upwards in a faint smile at his proclamation. No, he didn't really strike her as the type who conformed to the lowly opinion of another creature. It was that little spark of Ker-ness that made her think that there was some hope of getting him out of this state. It was almost as though he was in shock - completely unresponsive to signals that would usually garner a reaction. She couldn't be sure, though, and she was loathe make assumptions. Being too quick in coming to a conclusion was likely to leave her missing a crucial bit of information, and may well result in severe pain on her behalf. No, she would take things slowly. Inexorably like the tide she would creep closer and closer, seeping through little nooks and crannies previously undiscovered, until she reached the bottom of the matter. She matched him fall to the floor, the reddish mud staining a pelt that was already stiff with blood. She swallowed thickly, begging her stomach not to betray her. She ought to be used to sights like this by now! She wasn't, and truth be told, she didn't think she would ever be. It was simply too coarse and too adverse to her nature. She was taken by surprise when he started speaking. Short, clipped words...but he was opening up to her nonetheless. She kept herself completely still, scared that she would break whichever spell he had fallen in to. A blackout. Now that was odd. She hadn't been aware that young wolves could get such things! Did that mean there was something wrong with him? That his heart was struggling or his lungs weren't pulling their weight? Her confused questions came to a rapid halt when his head dropped carelessly into an undefined mass of flesh. She closed her eyes, shuddering at the soft squelch. Oh, how absolutely revolting!! She was forced to open her eyes when he continued speaking, looking like a large ball of woe in the wreckage he had caused. The headache didn't surprise her. If he'd blacked out, he'd probably keeled over where-ever he was standing. For all she knew, he'd been on the edge of a cliff at the time! She inched towards him, wrinkling her nose as she batted away bits of torso that lay too close to the large wolf. Then, still ever so slowly so she didn't startle him, she lay down beside him. She was vaguely aware of the blood staining her nicely cleaned coat, but that couldn't be helped. She could just feel the solid familiarity of Ker's body beside her, a light but firm contact to let him know that she wasn't going anywhere. She listened carefully, frowning at the pictures he was painting. Burning? What on earth could burning symbolise? "I know you're not crazy" she murmured softly, not really sure of what else to say. "Do you know what was burning?" The question was light, muttered softly so he could pretend not to have heard if his ego wouldn't permit acknowledgement of not knowing something. She watched the clouds fly over their heads, waiting for a further response that might shed more light onto the matter of his queer state of mind. "Speech"

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Kerberos

Sounding like himself was not an easily accomplished course, not when his mind was going from one side to the other. Every little circuit within seemed to be short circuited, like there was jumps from one side to the other being completely and utterly missed. It was a fearful feeling, something that was burning in the bottom of his chest. It was enough to have him with an open mouth and a frustrated looking face, trying to pull back the pieces together. Trying to understand, but somehow he doubted he would make it that far.

It was why his gaze twisted and he found himself staring at the flesh that was just close enough to be by his nose. Ears were pulled forward enough to be able to hear Namiko as she spoke, tried to make sense of things. His own sense of it was still in a toil, and he blinked sheepishly. "Wasn't a seizure." His words offered up, only knowing that it was something that could be crossed out in the desire. "I did not collapse - I ate, bathed, I s-swam in the ocean, I found..." His words trailed off, and the male sighed.

His eyes found one of the pieces of flesh, a particularly dark looking piece and he rolled on his hip, nose turning to point towards it. "I found her to play with -- her eyes were yellow, I-I don't know what she said, what she smelled like... but she was my rat and I enjoyed her moans turning into panic as she bled out when I tore her stomach out." There, he was not completely gone, but he was staring, gaze never traveling away from the expectation.

Concentration, and there was light swish of the tail as his struggle was still evidently so focused on the pair that she could do nothing but listen to what little spittle of explanation that could be given up. Shoulders pulled back lightly and the softness grumbled in his chest, twisting into a growl that could not be quickly dismissed. Showing his teeth as he curled his lips back, showing his bloody teeth.

His rough growl uttered out of his mouth, and evident struggle on his features. "There was nothing burning... It was all though my head... I was like I was cooking from the inside out." The desperation rolled off his tongue, eyes half closing as his paws shoved into his ground a little tighter, and his shivering body was almost in a bit of shock.

There was finally some realization on his features that he was being faced with something out of a bloody nightmare. He was beside the female he had stolen, and his ears plastered against his head with a soft fearful look. This was not the spot in his mind where he felt overly confident on the way things were processing.

[Deleted]

The more Kerberos spoke, the greater her worry for his welfare became. He was so out of sorts, so weirdly off kilter that he was going to be a liability to himself. For someone who liked being in control of every little detail, it must be quite terrifying to be in the position he was currently in. Namiko felt like she was crossing a deep gorge on a tightrope, with nothing but free-fall and pain waiting for her at a single slip of the tongue. It was nerve-wracking, and yet what else was she to do? Kerberos needed her help, and she had made herself a promise to aid him in finding the right path. At the moment, just being there for him was a step in the right direction. "I understand" she murmured softly, resisting the urge to nuzzle his jaw gently. Too much closeness and he might freak out again. She felt his ribs expand as he sighed, the deep whoosh of breath almost deafening in her ears. Found what? Somehow she didn't really want to know....and yet she was going to be burdened with the knowledge anyway. She felt him roll to the side, grudgingly letting her body follow suit. She could feel the stick blood-soaked mud cling to her pelt and she shivered imperceptibly. He continued speaking and she followed his gaze with a feeling of dread. Black coat, yellow eyes...a description that was no doubt applicable to many wolves. Yet subconsciously it rang alarm bells. She let her gaze wander on, seeking out the heads that she had not paid attention to earlier. The whites of her eyes were still showing, the teeth bared in a grimace of pure agony. But the pointed ears and slim muzzle were recognisable enough. Her heart stuttered in her chest, and she choked softly on the next inhalation. Her sister. Not that they had ever been particularly close...but she was kin, nonetheless. Kin that she had not seen in almost a year, and that she had presumed dead. "That would have been my sister" she voiced tonelessly, tearing her eyes away from the mask of horror before her. She didn't offer any more information, taking a moment to grieve in peace. Having met Kerberos, she had always assumed her pack had met a sticky end. He didn't seem like the type who would share the coastal region with another pack - even one as quiet and unproblematic as her own. But it was one thing presuming her family dead, and quite another knowing it. Or rather, that her sister was. The fate of the rest of her family and pack mates was still undetermined. She breathed with difficulty, squashing the whine of grief. She could deal with her own emotional trials later in private. To indulge in them now may well infuriate Ker, and that was the last thing she wanted to do. So she closed her eyes and forced a deep lungful of air quietly from her lungs. One slow and steady breath followed the next, until she brought herself into a little bubble of calm. She opened her eyes again, watching the waves rather than the carnage about them. She frowned as he continued speaking. So he hadn't seen burning? Had he had a fever? There was no other explanation for him feeling all hot and bothered. She leant forwards, her damp nose brushing ever so gently against his. It was warm to the touch and dry. She pulled back, her frown deepening with concern. "I think you're running a bit of a temperature" she stated, not quite able to hide the anxiety in her tones. "Maybe that's why you felt so hot." She was just throwing conjectures into the air, but any plausible ideas were better than stony silence. "Did Zarek speak to you in your dream?" Another question she didn't really want the answer to, but the answer might give her some useful insight into what was lying in the future. And in her position, knowing what the future could bring was a definite bonus. "Speech"

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Kerberos

The silence was something that perked up his attention in the most clear way. There was something about his announcement that had struck the other world, and he twisted enough to look at her and try and make sense of what had caught her attention. She was discovering the remains with her eyes, no longer blindly looking over them. While he would have watched on with glee once, his head just dropped back down to the cold ground and he grunted lightly.

"She was a bit of a skank traveling with two males then." His words were quipped with no judgement, just stating a fact. It was nothing that could be really fairly judged, but Kerberos had a low opinions as it was; there was only something to be worse said to a female who had tried to live - anything, just please, please don't hurt me - at any cost while watching the flesh of two others be torn apart. It caused the first little sense of an eager stir with him, but then his eyes peeled open.

Her dismissal on the matter was comforting enough, and his smile was faint for a few moments. There was nothing that could be denied on his features. Tail swished from one side to the other, pushing through the filth and dirt. His head tipped back, eyes dilating with a hint of frantic reaction when he had been in such a state of being. She was touching him, willingly, that was more than could have been expected.

So his tongue flicked out of his lips, and he raised his head warily to try and answer her question. It seemed to take an effort that he had been struggling, and his tongue slipped out of his mouth lightly. "Father... Father just..." His words were lost, sounding more youthful for a moment than he ever should have. He turned his gaze to her, leaning his head against her body. "He said that I wasn't supposed to go to him yet, so I had to watch out for a pesky liar." His words were tinged with amusement, "He didn't use pesky, or liar, as a description."

Still, the announcement was enough to make him lift his head to stare at him again at her. "He just... looked after me. Promised it would be all be over soon." His head tipped to the side and he found himself trying to find the right words to make sense of things. "I'm not allowed to die, he warned me off that." The snort was soft on the air, greedily delighted with the thought.

"I'll rip out the throat of anyone who touched his stairs again. There's been those on it who have not been welcome." His eyes twisted, and he studied her carefully. "I will be taking up place there. I suppose we will have to move y-you closer?"

[Deleted]

Namiko kept her peace as the male spoke, letting the slur on her sister slide. Just because one happened to be in the company of males meant nothing of the sort he was implying. Though, if she was very truthful, his words held a grain of truth. Her sister had always been more open and flirtatious than she had. The white wolf sighed softly, letting the matter waft away on the wind. It was neither here nor there what Kerberos thought of the dead, and her own opinion on the matter was quite meaningless too. She was tempted to ask who the two males had been, but she held her silence. She didn't recognise the features of the two other corpses, and thus there was still a slight chance that her family had managed to flee the coast before things got ugly.

She let herself rest more comfortably againsther alpha's side, the tension slipping from her shoulders when he started to speak. Slowly, step by baby step, she was bringing him back to this world...and the character that he normally displayed. It was frankly quite a relief to know that she was managing this rather delicate task so  well. If he decided to snap now, she was entirely too close to do anything about it. Consequently, she may as well make herself as comfortable as possible and see where things went.

It was strange to hear him almost stumble over his words. For one who was always in control, always poised, it was quite startling. She listened attentively, not sure what to make of this story. Of course his father would tell him that now was not the time to die. Which father would tell his offspring to jump off the nearest cliff and end his life? The idea was quite ludicrous. She forced her breathing to remain very even, not willing to let him know how much his words on peksy liars rattled her. It wasn't that she was a liar, per se. She had simply....withheld a rather important truth. But the way he treated her definitely conveyed the thought that she was a burden...and thus, pesky. She closed her eyes briefly, pulling her worried thoughts into a tight bundle and pushing them to the back of her mind. She couldn't dwell on such what-ifs. They would drive her stark raving mad.

"I would not have thought that you wanted death in the first place" she voiced after a moment, not trying to catch his eye. He could go to that effort if he was inclined to do so. "Do you think your father was trying to warn you of some imminent fight?" There was no hiding the note of anxiety to her delicate tunes. Worry for his sake, worry for Nico's if he was part of this plan....and worry for her own, since she was inevitably stuck in the middle,

His thoughts shifted rapidly, and it took her a long moment to process what he was talking off. Zarek's staircase...the strange collection of rocky ledges that rose unbidden from the ocean not far from their current position. She vaguely remembered visiting it as a pup, in times when it was simply a wonder of nature. Now Kerberos had perverted it to a sacred place that worshipped all that she couldn't stand for. "You will move me to where-ever you deem suitable" she replied softly. It wasn't as though she had any choice in the matter. Well, she did....technically. But the very real threat of punishment was not worth the matter of making her opinion known.

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Kerberos

Concerned look shined in his gaze that could not be forcibly brought up to the point of no return. The head cocked in the position that was set on the fact that he was being thrown around by his emotions. To think that he was in a state of being that he could not successfully thrive in was a fact that could not be denied. Ears swished on the top of his head as he found the female trying to state the obvious. But his mouth twisted with a show of amusement, pointedly not speaking. It proved how little she knew the inner workings of his mind, but he offered an easy forgiveness on the matter.

His shoulders tightened for a few long moments and he found himself wanting to tell her the truth. Maxim accused me of being weak on the topic, although it was not the exact truth. It was twisted in his mind, but it was not the first time the male had traces of suicidal tendencies in his mind. So he turned his since eye to her and stared at her for the longest moment, until he felt her discomfort under his stare.

"I suspect there are plots against my life, Namiko." His words were crisp on the air, more Kerberos than some of the other thing that had passed his lips. "I would be a fool not to think so, don't you agree?" His body stretched, and he fought off the tremble as he suddenly shoved himself to the full height of himself, desperate to get away from the stink. Suddenly it was filling his nose, and he wanted to smack the ground with his rage. But just as abruptly, it died before his eyes and his energy seemed to come out with his normal exhalation. It was not something he considered to be comforting.

Head cocked for a few long moment, hearing her opinion on the matter of being moved. "We'll find you a summer home, then." His words were soft, lost. "My underground space isn't big enough for me at the birth of the spring, let alone to share it with you." There was a lost tone that could not be eradicated, a wistful note in his voice. It was always such a danger living on the pale ground, knowing that if the winter tides came early he would be washed away.

So with a hint of glee in his next words as he giggled almost boyishly, twisting himself and facing the decaying world of bodies in front of him. His tail raised, and he forced himself to place away the stink. His paws trotted on the ground, and he found himself curling his lip up as he went about stepping on the pieces of flesh. It was almost like he had spread everything out in a way of dancing; and it was enough to make him lapse again. Laughter seemed to come out so easily.

[Deleted]

Namiko


She froze as his words fell upon her ears. Plots against his life....Oh, how close he was to the truth!! Her heart pounded in her chest, terror at being found implicated in the scheming. It hadn't been planned, really. But Nico had seemed such a kind chap, and he had promised to spare Kerberos' life if she wished it. Surely the male would keep his word?! But she couldn't be sure, though. Truth be told, she wasn't really sure about anything at the moment. He sent a question at her, and she closed her eyes for a long time, rallying her courage. "I suppose you are right" she agreed slowly, preferring to watch the waves than meet his eye. "Word will have travelled of your might, and there are undoubtedly those who disagree with your aspirations of manner of running pack life." She hated her innate need to complete honesty at this moment. Why could she not just have agreed meekly and let the matter pass?

But it wasn't her nature, and she had sworn that she wouldn't let Kerberos corrupt her more than was strictly necessary. She would have to extricate herself from the mess if Ker formed suspicions. Until then, what use was it to worry? Matters were out of her paws anyway, and it had been months since she had spoken with Nico. For all she knew, things had changed radically.

He stood up rapidly, and she scrambled to het paws in alarm. When nothing untoward happened, she exhaled a soft sigh of relief, watching the male from the corner of her eyes. He was unbalanced....but definitely calmer than when she had first found him. That was a small comfort. "I am sure you will find an adequate home" she spoke, grimacing at the wild laugh that tore suddenly from his maw. The grimace turned to lines of pain as he danced carelessly over the remains of those he had slain, and she muttered a heartfelt apology to the souls of the deceased as she picked her way carefully across the bloodied ground. When she was free of the carnage, and shook herself lightly, dispelling the gloom that murder lay upon her shoulders, and forcing herself into a gentle lope to catch up with Ker's long strides.