[table][row][/row][row][cell] [right][img]https://i.imgur.com/Ha23B2e.gif[/img][/right][/cell][cell] 
 
 
[url=https://www.roleplayerguild.com/posts/4825067]N I C H O L A S   A L B U M[/url]
[sup]Duncaster   |   Red Hood Keep
[@Tenma Tendo][@ZAVAZggg][@AtomicNut]
[@NorthernKraken][@Almalthia][/sup][/cell][/row][/table][hr][color=c0c0c0]Amid the sudden chaos, frenzied voices and the sharp song of unsheathed steel, Nick became distinctly aware of Loona tucking herself in between the skin of his neck and fabric of his jacket. There was an ounce of warmth and pressure where she had hid herself and the soft of her voice cut through the commotion in the hall with ease. Her distress was clear as day and her concern valid. Still, there wasn't much to be done. He shook his head.

[color=ffffff]"No... Not really."[/color] He replied simply. He'd thought about it. Counted the heads as soon as they started moving. Noted the pull on the bow to the left of the room, the arrow centered on the white haired male who'd just been ousted as a vampire. His aggressor staring him down with a look of determination not like to be easily broken. Noted the steel clad knight with blade brandished between himself and the red haired women. The fair lady who'd proclaimed herself a werewolf. A fair lady with a penchant for the arcane judging by the incantation she'd let slip from her lips and how every shackle she'd touched did the same. A gesture of kindness and the second he'd witnessed in the keep as well as telling of another layer beyond the one made obvious by her confession. But alas, it was a difficult thing for some people to believe that a human and a monster could be one and the same. Separate. That was always easier. Separate was also simpler. Unfortunately, simple and easy wasn't afforded to them any longer... and [i]this[/i] would be the first of many growth pains. It had to run his course and if someone were to stop it, it wasn't Nick. He held no authority here and whatever skill he thought he might have... [color=ffffff]"Not much [i]I[/i] can do. This is just how some greet one another. It's a little different from your handshake."[/color]

At this point it was all about picking his battles as well as getting the measure of the men and women next to him. Who buckled under pressure? Who bent the rules? Who believed in what? And how far was someone willing to go for those beliefs. Could he trust a man to not cut down one of their own solely for personal gain? And if he couldn't, did he really want to have to rely on him? Could he rely on himself when the time came?

[center][color=ffffff][i]...Who the fuck knows...?[/i][/color][/center]
Could they rely on him? Would they if they knew?

There had been a bit of a tremble in Loona's voice and Nick immediately made connections he wasn't entirely sure he had to make. [i]She[/i] wasn't human either and he had to wonder how the other two felt about it. Would they resolve to cut her down as well? On instinct he'd checked his gear. Three swords strapped to his back, two more than he was used to carrying on his person. The others were extra and he'd carried them all in with the intent to stow the rest. The added weight was throwing him off. Way off. There was also the dagger strapped to the back of his waist and a fourth arm hidden beneath the folds of his outerwear. He gripped the latter two and kept his eyes open for any sudden movement made toward himself.

[color=ffffff]"Just stay put and we'll see how Finlay and the rest of the Hoods handle it."[/color] His eyes flicked over to the commander who was watching everything unfold.[/color]