Open Secrets [Nocturne]

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Her lips twisted into a scowl. Not sure of his numbers? Well, Nico was certainly useless in terms of gathering intelligence, that was for sure. She'd need to go in herself, by the looks of it. Never leave an important assignment to male - they always found a way to mess it up. His comment on the state of females did little to dissuade her plans on dropping by to give Kerberos a visit. Only the meek and timid would allow themselves to be put into such a situation. Since she was neither, she had nothing to fear. How she would go about the matter would require a bit of thought, but she would have that time as she crossed towards the coast. For a moment, it was imperative that she and Nico settled the less fine details. Once she'd made her own assessment of the situation, she would meet Nico and whoever he had at his back. She hummed in thought. So Xanthus was the better talker - that boded a little better for their cause. She could only hope that Nico's twin was also better at making a respectable impression. No-one was likely to trust kin of Zarek's...no matter if it was to eradicate more spawn of the devil. What assurance did their allies have of them not wanting to clear out competition before taking up Zarek's work? No, it was going to be a difficult feat, to be sure. If she and Reece hadn't....disintegrated, things might have gone better. Then again, she had never thought he would be capable of accusing her of being as mad and murderous as Zarek. Honestly, she'd only killed once and she hadn't exactly derived pleasure from it! She closed her eyes at the achingly familiar wave of pain. Damn, how she missed the golden-eyed wolf! She nodded absently, taking in Nico's admission without the grain of salt it so evidently contained. Essentially, it was the three of them. "You and your brother had better get around more" she informed him dryly, her eyes snapping open to meet his gaze. "It is fairly obvious that I'll need to gather the information on the pack that you are lacking." Her words were blunt and factual, only a flash of haughtiness in her eyes. "If the females are as terrified as you say, they'll need to be redirected before they make a mess of the inevitable battle. We can't afford to have a set of whimpering, crying loose cannons running amuck." The very idea was frightening - shrieking, crazed shadows of life getting between the fronts. That would only lead to needless bloodshed and waste precious energy on their behalf. "Surely you'll be able to find some noble-hearted fool who'll round up the ladies and lead them to safety." It wasn't a question - if he wasn't capable of that, then the venture was doomed from the offset. "Speech"

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Nico

Laughter was always on his mind when the thrumming was rampaging through his body. There was a lost feeling through his blood and he found himself staring at Nocturne, blinking without much of a motion. There was no need for him to speak about the feelings that he considered, knowing that he would confide in his brother. There was definite flaws, and the female seemed about to flick her head in the direction of the coast and run flying for the coast.

The thought amused him, although he tried not to express it. The comment she made about his lack of knowledge was enough to raise his brow, "And your excuse is, little cousin?" His purr was lustily filled with mockery as he stepped closer. "You didn't know any of us three existed until I told you, no matter what we all innately expected." At least he had managed to come into contact of the scent now, he hoped, of all his living kin.

His shudder was slightly and he found his tongue a little bit thick, and his mouth softened with the notion she was going to get into trouble. It was the impression he got from her, and he sighed with his acid filled words. "I don't play with fools." There was a tender sound in his words, and his growl was soft on the air, the threat that was ringing through her throat with the feelings that groped the side of his head.

Shoulders rolled with the warning look of irritation that crossed over his face. "The females have chosen their own fate," His words were brisk, considering Namiko as he spoke. "For the most part, they don't know what else to do if not under control... it's quite a burden to take on for anyone." Abrupt words were brisk, defiant as his tongue slid over his teeth.

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She sniffed haughtily at his astute observation - he wasn't quite as dim as he looked to be, that was for sure. Still, that gave him no right to throw the stick back at her. "Frankly, I had greater things to worry about than pesky cousins" she countered easily. "If all of you managed to grow a sensible head on those thick shoulders, we wouldn't be in this position to begin with. Only the odd idiot would need removing from society...and otherwise, life could continue in peace and harmony with butterflies and rainbows and cute little rabbits." Sarcasm laced her words, mockery evident in her silver orbs. Oh, life wouldn't ever be so straightforward. Then again, it didn't need to be. A little strife and hurt and anger did so much more good than bottling discontent. She turned her lips upwards in a faint smirk as he stepped closer. He really didn't think something as trivial as that would intimidate her, did he? The very idea was laughable. A sharp bark of mirth danced between her open jaws at his comment. Why, no-one wanted to deal with fools. "I suppose you lack the necessary tact and patience" she commented, not altogether unkindly. They were going to form an alliance, after all. She couldn't make him hate her completely. "And since I have more urgent matters to attend to, I suppose you'll delegate the matter to Xanthus." The name slipped easily from her lips, and she mused at how 'at home' it felt to know of their presence. Blood did call to blood, it seemed. Now she just needed to find a way to silence the demon in her heart, and things would almost be dandy. She snorted at his words. What utter madness was that? Not to be able to function without someone breathing orders down your neck? Why, those must be sorry excuses for living creatures kept on the coast! Either that, or Nico was exaggerating. She wouldn't put it past the male to elaborate a known fact into something more flashy. She would see for her self soon enough, in any case. Then she could worry about making contingency plans for whichever crazed entities the pack housed that required salvaging. All others were best killed on sight. Perhaps so of them could be redeemed, but she didn't think it was a risk worth taking. If she was murdered for the crime she had committed, then that was only fitting. She'd just been careful to avoid contact with those who would seek vengeance for that act. "Any other words of wisdom you wish to impart before I resume my journey, Nico?" The question was brisk as she got to her paws. The less time she stood hanging around chit-chatting, the better. "Speech"

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Nico

The feelings that he was going to find the dark wolf in trouble could not leave him. His eyes were pinned hungrily on the silver-eyed demon who was likely hearing more voices than he had ever silenced. The thought amused him, but at the same time she had the same line of thought as he did. For the time being it was required there was an alliance, regardless of the outcome of the mental state of the female before him.

When she seemed to be readying herself to leave, the male just continued to remain motionless in the cold. It would be where he hunkered down for the night, he suspected. His head tipped to the side and he looked at her with a cool appraisal, almost apologetic. He suspected the nightmares that she would have once she met the madness of the coast would not be too pleasant.

The air of the Coast itself had offset Nico, that was saying something when the male was looked upon as a bit of an airhead. Without having the brains that his brother had, the male had learned to rely on his instincts as quick triggered at they were. The lack of ease he had carried on his shoulders until he had found his twin again was not something he could have ever recalled experiencing before the realization that kin whispered to the ocean.

"Be wise," His words were soft, his voice thoughtful as he found himself studying the female a moment longer and then he turned his gaze away. That was his choice of advice, and it sounded a bit odd on the tongue of the male. The time was not now to move on Kerberos, somehow he suspected the black wolf would not be so ready to agree with him on the matter.

What more could he offer her though? "I will tell my twin of your existence," His smile was slight on his face when he glanced back to her, the dying fire eyes were alight with something of thought. "And that I was not disappointed, Nocturne. While you are of Shai, you are of Zarek as well." His head inclined, "As mad as the male was, he was my father, and I loved him even in his lost state."

"We will be in touch." The promise echoed out of his mouth, before his body turned and his dismissal was clear. She was ready to go, urgent matters. The thought amused him. What could be so urgent when she was heading away from the pack grounds she tasted like on the air? It was none of his business.

[Deleted]

She tossed her head at his comment. Of course she would be wise and cautious. Who did he think she was? How else had she managed to escape the judgement that awaited a murderer and made friends - well, allies, really - along the way? No, she knew how to play this game much better than Nico did. She had the charm, the wits, the confidence. No, she really didn't need meagre advice on how to deal with the situation. "Certainly" she commented, a little disdainfully. She was more than capable of handling her own affairs. One jumped up male who thought himself above the rest was hardly going to be an insurmountable task. She dipped her head in acknowledgement to his words. It was perfectly acceptable that he inform his twin - they were all partners in this venture, after all. She smirked slightly at the concealed praise. So she'd passed whatever test Nico had thrown at her, had she? Well, she was hardly surprised. A little tact and a good dose of common sense were all it took to make a favourable impression. She wrinkled her nose at his words, derision dancing within silver orbs. "And I had the fortune of never meeting his corrupting influence, and thus hate him for all he has done to wolf-kind and myself." She spoke plainly. Nico would understand where she came from, even if he didn't agree. They'd breezed over the matter earlier, after all. When it came down to it, they were fighting a common cause from two completely different standpoints. Still, that was essentially the definition of an alliance, after all. "Travel well, Nicostratus" she offered in reply, giving him a brief nod of farewell before turning on her haunches. She wasn't precisely sure where the coast was, but she'd find it soon enough. Zarek would break loose from her hold sooner rather than later, and he was simply desperate that she meet the lunatic cousin of hers. Really, if he was intolerable as a ghost, how must Zarek have been in real life? She didn't dare entertain the question further, jumping instead into a steady lope and moving steadily north-easterly. "Speech"