Brother. (Private - FJ)

[LAD]

Although other Flame x Balth are more than welcome to join :3

Sepheral

Sepheral had told Grenade that she would be back soon - and while it was a few days later, it was a soon as she could make the promise. Swallowing hard she sighed. She had never been close to Grenade, or any of her siblings though she stuck around for them. Meeting Ripthier had changed that though, and she wondered if Grenade would approve or disapprove of her decision to simply keep watch over the pride as an ally, and nor an actual member.

Another sigh escaped her maw. Seemed like she had been doing that a lot lately, but it wasn't without reason. She felt she had a lot on her shoulders, and she felt her return to the Veldt was wrong in a way. Like if someone found her here and knew she had left - she'd be condemned for her actions. None the less, Sepheral made her way to the far edges of Veldt, to Flame Grotto, and plopped herself down near the warmth, wondering who would be the first to find her.

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[FJ]

Grenade Donovan

His wanderings were as varied as his mind was, the tendrils of corrupted, malignant thoughts pulling at him--he knew something was off but not what, and it bothered him. Like looking at a room and knowing something was amiss and never figuring it out, his attempts to pick it apart were fruitless, and a little excursion to check for La Morte was just as much; unsatisfying, but at the very least he could call himself content that he hadn't any luck. After all, they had enough issues within Meurtrier itself as of late--it'd be a bad time for that pride of traitors to lash out.

He entered the foul-smelling belly of the Grotto to find a moment away from his duties only to find his eyes alighting on none other than Sepheral--one of his many siblings. She had taken a leave of absence recently to clear her head--though he did indeed doubt that singular purpose--but if it was true, perhaps she was feeling better. She was not a member of the pride, but he had no reason to suspect her of any foulness, and so he would not present her with rudeness. Besides--he was less likely to find facts if he played stern and strict.

"Sepheral." His greeting, singular and without etiquette. He'd gauge her reaction, and if it was not hostile he would lay down nearby, not quite facing her but capable of looking at her with ease. "How've you been?"

[LAD]

Sepheral

The ess whipped her head around, neck cracking loudly with the force which she cringed at, a slow 'ooowwww' escaping her mouth. That and she now had purple mane dangling in her eye. "Grenade." she gave him a small smile before slowly rolling her head, working out the new sudden soreness. Yeah that had hurt - badly. When she finished she smiled again and huffed her mane out of her face. "I've been okay. Could be better I suppose but in our world things don't get much better than semi-quiet life."

She looked over at him once more, "And you? How are you? And the pride? Are they well?" Seph knew she would always be curious about her birth home - but when she had left she had also gone looking for Viciado later on on her own, and she found nothing of her healing sister. It... frightened her in a way. For there to have been absolutely nothing actually terrified her, and she could only hope she did not lose another sibling to random disappearance that - in this case meant death.

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[FJ]

Grenade Donovan

He made no attempt to hide his laugh at her cringe-worthy neck cracklings. "A good spy learns to expect the occasional necksnap." He'd brush it off from there--best not to rub it in.

"Yeah." A quiet life for those lucky to remove themselves from the constant war. He didn't really know what had lured him back into it--it seemed unnatural to live as a loner, owing no loyalty, blood or pride. There was nothing for him out there, no safe dwellings that he could find himself at home with. Meurtrier, his home, had beckoned him back and seized his throat and so here he would make his stay until death ripped its claws into him.

He didn't pitty himself, and he didn't pitty her or the others who had similarly chosen this life. The cubs, perhaps, but not them.

"You're well aware of the recent tensions. There's something foul in the air; I can smell it, but I can't find the source. It bothers me, so I've been searching as much as I can for secrets veiled to those with different priorities." This was his line of work, and Cocaine and Funeral were very much busy with their own respective duties. They were down some very useful spies and he picked up the slack left in their wake. He'd sigh, quite alike her, and smirk with a roll of his shoulders. "Doing great besides that." He made the best of his situation as always. He flicked his tail, casting off the few ashes that speckled it.

[LAD]

Sepheral

At first Sepheral gaped at him, then she tossed her head back and laughed. After a small moment, Grenade had continued speaking and Seph quieted, a grin still upon her mouth as she stood and made way to lay next to him. "Well I for one have never been into the spy work." She teased. However when he spoke of the pride she sobered, bowing her head slightly, then nodded when he was done. "Good. I'm glad you're alright." She paused here.

"I tried looked for Viciado myself. I couldn't find her. There was nothing. Not even a scent on the wind. Its as if everything had vanished. There's nothing to indicate what Stella said... But Grenade..." She swallowed again. Could she tell him? Could she trust her brother to keep a secret? She would have to try. To take that leap of faith with him that Ripthier had taken with her. She turned to look at him, her eyes serious. "Grenade, Stella was going to leave the pride with me that morning. We were gonna meet at the border. It doesn't make sense for her to risk something so big as her own freedom over revenge at Cocaine - and with the wrong cub too really." Here she bit her cheek, scared almost for his reply.

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[FJ]

Grenade Donovan

Spy work was definitely an acquired taste alright.

He listened intently, his pale eyes greeting her's, audits coming forth as his brows furrowed. Indeed, no scent or clue... It was worrisome. How could Stella have achieved such a thing? Did she know magic, and why hadn't she shown such an ability before? These little holes seemed to dot the lines between her and guilt, and yet he knew well enough that madness could very well be the culprit. He could not say he knew her mind and could with certainty rule out the possibilities, but still.... His stomach had yet to cease clenching at the thought of a deeper darkness laying dormant in the pride. Surely his nephew couldn't have been so driven as to kill his /own/ cub, right? And who was to say it wasn't a third feline, one easy to miss with these distractions? He was suspicious of everyone.

Her pause, her... hesitation--it struck him as curious and he waited to reply, letting her get whatever it was out without a chance to change the subject. And here it was--another dot on the line to cast doubt on the picture. She was to leave? It explained some things... but not others. He let his eyes stray as he digested it quietly, and when he was ready to reply, he looked to her once more. "For what reasons was she to leave, and why are you still here?" His voice was serious, and he did what he felt most reasonable--milk for more information.

[LAD]

Sepheral waited semi-impatiently for his reply, and when it did come it was nearly as she expected - another question. Want for more information. As was his job. She shifted slightly, her eyes cast out to the hot spring, and she thought her words over carefully. She knew as her brother, he was trustworthy. As a spy. He was doing his job. He would report it, but at first that hadn't bothered her. She needed someone to confide in. But things had shifted now. She knew this. She could feel it. She took her time in thinking of a reply. Only a few minutes passed before she tilted her head towards him. "Stella wanted to leave, to be free of what was going on between her, Cocaine, Nerante, and Ryssor. I would assume she was near heartbroken. No female wants to see their mate cheat on them and steal another's' mate while leaving them at the same time." She looked at Grenade at that, daring him to argue with that logic - to say 'it couldn't have been that bad.' But part of her knew he wouldn't say that. That instead he would take the information in stride. And then she continued without much pause into his second question. "As for me, I'm still here cause while I am not close to any of my blood siblings, I still like being near them. And after what happened to Viciado, I couldn't bare having left and then hearing the news that another sibling had died in my absence without me to have at least attempted to have been there for them. Besides I do still love you all no matter if we are close or not. And I will do all I can to support you guys. I just couldn't stay as a member any longer. But... It felt as if I were trapped." She told him, as if it were the most common thing to have said.

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[FJ]

Grenade Donovan

She spoke honestly, perhaps the most of so he'd heard in quite some time. He knew what it was like to love your siblings--he'd been overly protective of one of his littermates after all, leaving Meurtrier for her, watching her ascend in the ranks of another pride and leave him behind. He was arrogant yes, but he did understand love to some degree, whether masculinity or his youth made him wish to cover its marks and feign ignorance.

As for Stella--he couldn't say he wouldn't do what Cocaine had done, and he couldn't say he looked down on it, but it was understandable that Stella would've been heartbroken. They'd been mates for a long time and to see that uprooted would leave one upset, though where she would've wanted to leave, he couldn't say he'd be so kind. He'd be angry if it was done to him, and personally, this didn't support Stella's innocence much because if he'd been in her pawprints, the whole litter would have been erased in such a fit of anger. He would not lie about it however; let the whole d*mned world know better than to mess with him. He still wasn't entirely sure what to think about this mess, but besides what sympathy he had for Nerante, Ryssor, and the other cubs, perhaps this was the most honest take.

These thoughts however, he didn't know how to word, much less did he want to show such cracks. He was protective of his thoughts, through and through, and had not yet had the softness of a mate to break down the walls.

"He certainly caused a fine mess." Condescending, though dismissive. What was done is done--Stella was exiled, so she got her wish in the end. "At least now, Stella can move on. I'm not sure I believe she's a cubkiller, but Meurtrier was never a pride for the soft of heart." He sighed. "I've chosen my path and I'll be sticking to it, whether I live or die. I don't question my worth, though I probably should." It was the kindest way he could tell her that he wouldn't need her, but it was just as much to keep her from someday being hurt by him, or his death. He did offer her one glimpse past his mask, his tone dropping to be a little more sincere. "With Viciado's absence and the death of her grandcub, Caine and their cubs along with Nerante will need all the help they can receive to recover. I'm sure they could use your presence. I will be telling Funeral and Cocaine about this when they return, and you know that, but I doubt you'll be in any trouble, so you might as well cheer up and live a little." She seemed too sincere to be a traitor, though of course that didn't erase the possibility.

He'd listen to his instincts regardless.

[LAD]

Sepheral

When Grenade had finished speaking she gave him a look of pure unease. Swallowing she shifted closer, and pressed her head against his shoulder. With this she sighed gently. "I know you can take care of yourself. That does not mean that I won't be sticking around." She murmured softly, just loud enough for him to hear. Then she pulled away and met his gaze. "However I would feel much better if Nerante didn't know, Grenade. He unnerves me greatly, and I would feel much safer knowing him, Caine and that family had no knowledge of what I just told you. And I would even like if you could at least try to keep the information from an anonymous source when telling Cocaine and Funeral. If possible at least. If not... Then at least keep it between you three and no other. I... I saw Nerante standing there as anyone else had. I highly doubt any presence would be welcomed with that boy... Perhaps I'll talk to Caine and offer my condolences - he was our sister's mate. But please.. That's all I ask. Don't tell Nerante. I have a bad feeling about him." Her eyes pleaded with Grenade as much as her words did, and she laid her tail against his flank as well. Then she paused for a moment. "However I will stick in Meurtrier for a bit just to hang around. I have not been close to Viciados' family but what you say may be true as well." A trade perhaps. She didn't know. She wanted this kept quiet, but had she been telling the truth, she had no reason to run, unlike if she had been lying.

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[FJ]

Grenade Donovan

"To tell Nerante of this would be a fool's errand, so you have my word on that. I don't want to be the one to throw salt in his wounds, nor do I want to place you in unnecessary danger." He slid his nose under her chin, tapping it up--a simple gesture to say 'chin up and don't worry so much'. "He might not be reachable, but Caine and their other cubs certainly will be. I've seen Marius around quite a bit lately. He's a good boy, trying to be as uplifting as he can be for his father." Chuckling, he shrugged. "He's hardly Meurtrian material." He meant it kindly however; Marius was a good soul, a kind youth who wanted to see not carnage but growth and prosperity. His heart wasn't twisted by his blood. He could say this fairly easily because for one very direct point, had he pushed anybody else around in the pride like he did him, he'd have a fight to contend with--but little Marius merely tagged along playfully. Such a cub even in his adolescence, but hey, it was a pleasure.

His pale eyes moved to her's, as if to ask if she'd not worry so much, and breathe a little easier. Things were the way they'd always been, and they were doing the most they could do. These were things he reminded himself of when he felt too stressed so it felt natural to show her the same.

Perhaps he did feel a sibling bond with her after all.

[LAD]

Sepheral smiled softly at Grenade. Something about his actions and words filled her with warmth and she smiled softly at him. She met his gaze evenly, and then nodded understandingly. She trusted him. She would trust him, without a doubt. "Marius huh? Think I'll keep an eye out for him then." Then she flopped onto her side and rolled onto her back, placing her paw on his chin in a near childish manner. "Not all of us are Meurtrier material, but our hearts will always lie there. Like me, for one." But her tone was warm now. They had seemingly moved onto a much lighter topics. She had felt no need to respond to him not going to tell Nerante, he wasn't an idiot and it had merely been a small moment of panic on her part.

[FJ]

Grenade Donovan

The red-maned male watched her alleviated antics, eyebrow quirking and chuckling as she held her paw against his chin. What a big cub, geeze! He pressed his own to her's, trying to force her to turn away, a slight rebuke. "I suppose so." Well gauging by the way she was acting, her statement was pretty damned fair.

There was a sense of hollowness in his life that, for the moment, he found her filling. He was not all that social and rarely spoke to any for more than what his duties deemed requisite and despite himself and the brazen fact he never exactly felt lonely, there was a contentment with this. It felt nice, and for the moment he could honestly call himself happy for it. A nice settling distraction from the duties he nearly revered as a god.

"What a cub." Light banter, and he'd ruffle her mane.

[LAD]

Sepheral huffed and reached her maw up to lightly nip his paw. Then blinked owl-eyed at him as he ruffled her mane. "You're one to talk," she huffed lifting her head and promptly dropping it on his foreleg, her own foreleg draping over his shoulders. Then without warning or much waiting she jerked herself up to grasp his own mane and tug on it, being careful not to jerk too hard though. Then she was laying down again. Innocently so. "After all we share the same blood. If I'm a cub that makes you an overgrown cub yourself!" Sepheral grinned.

[FJ]

Grenade Donovan

Giving her an indignant look at her accusation his audits flicked back, and when she tugged at his mane he nipped at her neck non-aggressively. "You little sh*t!" He'd shake his head once free of her, his mane whipping around until it came to a rest in an unruly mess. "At least I'm not a girly." He was joking though, his tone sounding like a mocking of a little boy and how they always, always had to reassure themselves that they were masculine. Unlike him, he swore.

[Vee]

(psst, fj... Shit, piss, fuck, cunt, cocksucker, motherfucker, tits, fart, turd, and twat)