Shrieking Shack

His eyebrow quirked at the female pronoun, inherently curious. Crest obviously knew more than he'd let on, but it seemed that he was already fully aware of Donia. Or at least partly aware.

"I never said it was a woman; I cannot even specify that far." Lukas frowned, wondering if he should pursue a loophole in his contract.

"The group of them - theyre like moles. They don't seem threatening at all, but they know exactly where to dig and how to avoid the farmers chasing after them. It's almost awe-inspiring to watch, how meticulous some of them have become."

"That was not my question." He told him dryly, his patience starting to slip with his vague evasions.

"My mouth is tied on the issue." He reciprocated the flat tone, his gaze boring into Crest's. "I would combust if I were to utter any name to do with them or their movement, aside from the ones that are publicly known."

"Their negotiations with me were so careful that maybe the lack of information I'm giving you might help. I mean, I can tell you all about Crouch." Lukas was trying to guide Crest to an answer he could not explicitly give. If he couldn't talk about certain people, it would mean they were involved somehow.

Crest scoffed, turning his back to him as he gazed out the glassless window, "You'd do life a favor by combusting." The young auror had no pity or empathy in his heart for beings like Lukas who thrived on the misery of others. 

"Fine. Tell me what Crouch is doing. And what instructions he may have given others. You don't need to tell me who, just what." His increasingly short patience for games like this was wearing thinner every minute.

"Tsk tsk." Lukas adopted a sing song voice, not willing to play the game and aid Crest if he wasn't going to follow the rules. He'd tried to tell Crest that by elimination, the man could figure out who was still part of the Death Eater movement by his inability to talk about them.

"I can't tell you that. " Lukas grew tired of Crest's inability to play, knowing the guy was too inflexible to ever amuse him. The people who did not see life In black or white were far more interesting. 

"Hes found some people, and theyre going to do bad things to some people you might be fond of."

"Good thing that's a very short list." Crest noted coldly. It was easy for him to slip back into that state of mission driven apathy but he felt great joy that this had been reduced to a very convincing facade now. Granted he cared about his mission, but there was one thing he cared for above that now.

His friends and loved ones. 

Naturally he couldn't let his foes catch onto that. So he continued to play the part of the heartless auror he used to be.

"What about outside help? Say, Amaya." Bryn had tipped him off about her, so perhaps Lukas could validate his claims by... not validating them. 

If only Lukas was human, all Crest would need to get the information was -a few minutes with him in a discreet location outside of anyone's range of hearing. It was far more direct than these insipid games.

He instantly snorted, dismissing the claim. "Amaya would not willingly help Crouch." Was the closest to clarification he could provide. "I know my contractees well, she hates him since he's caused her family so much suffering." The Desouza sibling was one hell of a wildfire, but Lukas knew she'd rather be indebted to him than to any Death Eater.

"I think... she won't be an issue for you." However, this was just Lukas's observation of the people he was linked to. Even with her association with Donia, Amaya would not knowingly help the Death Eater movement.

The key word of course, being "knowingly".

'Interesting...'


With Bryn's claims all but confirmed, he tried thinking of his next step.

"Do you know any of their future targets?" Surely some non-contratees must be aimed at by them...

"Sure I do." He stated, wondering if he should warp the truth. It could be that Crest didn't believe him anyway, but he couldn't outright lie. However, he could not answer the question, or dance around the truth.

"Well, actually, I don't. I keep my knowledge and details on my contractees almost exclusively. I know only of their desire to target you and Brynmor. But you would be aware of that anyway." He only kept tabs on the death warrants of his contractees so he could decide whether it was in his interests to aid in their demise. Usually it wasn't, since having contractees maintained a fickle balance essential to his survival.

Crest rolled his eyes and grabbed Lukas's throat, squeezing lightly. "Stop playing games. I did not come here for obvious answers. I came for information and if you don't provide it, unabridged. I WILL find a way to hurt you..." Crest promised with dark resolve. 

"Now..." He kept his hand around his neck. "I will only ask you one other time. Who, are, the victims? Tell me before I lose my temper again..."

"You." he said flatly, in a tone that only someone who was telling the truth - and getting bored of repeating themselves - could muster. The pressure against his throat did not seem to stir him at all, like a lazy cat who was tired of being stroked but couldn't be bothered to scratch their owner.

"You can strangle me all you like, my answer won't change." The idea of transforming into kitsune form crossed his mind, but he decided not to. He could be hurt like a human, but he could always escape. It was better for Crest to assume his weaknesses were similar to a human anyway - as they were in this body.

He shoved him aside and brushed off his hands like he had dirtied them, "you're less than useless." 

"If I had no contract with you I wouldn't even bother with you." He spitefully told him, "you're willing to perfectly squander conflict that would benefit you in the interest of these insipid games."

"Oh, a human wants nothing to do with me, I'm physically quaking." The Kitsune snorted loudly, simply stepping back and smirking. Crest's venomous words acted as an elixir to him, sending sweet ripples of energy straight into his hands. Lukas fed on the hatred, and cherished the frustration the auror felt. Spite was a far better delicacy than violence.

He summoned a flame in his left hand, shrinking and mutating it at will. 
"But I'm creating conflict now, your irritation pleases me to no end." He mused, weaving the fire between his fingers and watching it dance along his skin. "What benefits me is letting Crouch wreak havoc, and that's exactly what he's going to do." On you and your family.


"You should keep tabs on the whole Desouza family." He finally offered as a respite. "And the Death Eater traitor."

The entire Desouza family...


Bryn he could find anywhere and Amaya wouldn't be difficult to locate, but Ace and Meredia had just flat out dropped off the map. But he was sure he could pick up the trail. 

And the Rogue Element...

"What became of Ace and Meredia?" Ace was one of the smartest people he'd ever encountered, she'd be invaluable to any sort of intelligence network. Especially the one he made. They were off the books, due to Crest's less-than-sterling reputation at the Ministry. 

After holding the minister 'hostage' to clear his family's name from an ancient plan, shifting the blame solely to himself, he wasn't welcomed with open arms even after his name had been cleared.

He never was welcomed with open arms anywhere except with his wife, and Meredia. The blind Desouza was maybe one of the most gentle people on earth and made him look like a demon by compare. But in a way, Crest welcomed this. It was refreshing to know in the sea of darkness he fought against that there were truly good people he was fighting for.

Lukas had followed the Desouza family for a while, but had grown bored of the stagnation in their family now Amaya no longer served to antagonise them. The blind one had been especially dull, untaintable in every aspect to his games and charms.

 But Ace had been willing to play, astonishing the old spirit with her mind games and pure intellect. She had been able to discover his intentions almost immediately, but still allowed him to carry on wreaking mischief. In her moments of lucidity, she told him she only wanted to be left alone. Her lack of contact with minds as bright of her own had began to cripple her; Lukas knew she missed the challenge.

"The smart one, she's had little contact with anyone, including her family. She appeared disinterested in the information I passed to her, rambling about wanting to be alone and preparing for things to come." Lukas almost frowned, before continuing.

"It was like she'd already known what I was about to say before I even arrived." The kitsune believed the girl was slowly going mad.

At the mention of Meredia his smile grew, baring his sharp canines for a second before letting his expression settle back into a netural one. "She's the obvious target - Meredia. Evil people want to crush a heart of gold, just to prove that their ways will always triumph over good. The temptation is irresistible to some." He warned, speaking from the perspective of someone who knew chaos inside and out.

"Where are they?" Crest ordered. Crest knew he probably would never be a friend to Bryn and the Desouza's but the least he could do is be an ally to them and help their kin.

ooc the Desouzas are a BIT more friendly than Crest thinks (excl. Amaya)

ic the Kitsune appeared to be touching invisible threads around him, trying to find the location of his contractees. Unfortunately, Ace had been wise enough to never place a contract with him, but Meredia had been under his care for some time, which meant she knew how to hide.

"I can't tell you where Ace is - she is not contracted to me." He murmured, still pulling at one thread in particular. "However..." 

The thread became visible, a thin silver line from his palm. "Meredia is in a muggle part of London, near the entrance to Diagon Alley." Lukas knew Crest wouldn't make it in time to rescue her, considering the plans of the Death Eaters, so he felt free to give this information. The conflict would invigorate him, but he knew he would have to give the Death Eaters a massive helping hand after this.

OOC It's much less his opinion of them as what he perceives of himself. He actually thinks highly of the Desouzas.

IC

Without a word of gratitude or a farewell of any kind, Crest vanished. Lukas would never freely share that information unless he gained something from it. And what he gained from it was most likely conflict.

It was playing into Lukas's hands but he had little choice in the matter.

Lukas laughed to himself, realising that a trap had been too easy to create. Of course, he wasn't lying about Meredia's location, it's just that she may no longer be there any more. He hoped the Death Eaters were prepared. If not, he owed them a bigger favour than he thought.