we built this city on broken glass

There was something almost amusing, in a way, to that welcome into that family the panther offered him in those precarious moments that followed. Frost allowing that simper upon his lips to present itself with a near genuine amusement before affording that comment his own reply of thanks even despite the pair of them surely holding the same awareness of that fractured, chaotic 'family' they had somehow crafted for themselves from whatever scraps of love and loyalty and blood and relation remained to be classed as a family at all. Hell, it was the closest Frost had come to such a thing in years. A part of the stallion appreciating that gesture all the same even if he saw little need to mention it. Whether by twisted fate or sheer dumb luck the pair of them had landed firmly in this together. Frost momentarily given to consider that this predicament was much his own doing and yet- so be it. That was life. Frost long ago having ceased to view the world with rose-coloured glasses. That single aspect of his personality, perhaps, allowing the stallion to all out that offer for exactly what it was- his own veritable death sentence. The truth of what he stood to inherit from Tetradore was a vampiric war and little else and yet- it was a war he might well have been destined to fight from the beginning all the same. The war horse remained pensive upon his own thoughts in that moment before seeking more information all the same. Frost ill-inclined to making any sort of choice without some logic to back it. Even if Tetradore's past had so provided the man with an unanticipated window into his own. The faintest stirrings of something akin to....comradery daring to turn somewhere within him at the realisation of how very alike he was with the man beside him. Such idle considerations forced back for that moment as he tugged at those tendrils of control once more, that mask of indifference firmly in place as that newly chilled beer was offered to his companion.

Those further questions found his lips easily then. His mind already considering their newly shared predicament of sorts from several different angles. Frost seeking some sort of leverage, even now, against this unknown vampire woman whom had so plagued Tetradore's existence. After all, surely he knew something of this Mistress of his? Had he not been at her side for all those years? Surely the Panther had some knowledge of some weakness they might exploit even if that single affinity for control she had held over him surely limited those chances. Frost pausing in those queries only to offer that snort of amusement at the idea of Tobias having been passed over by that woman in favour of Tetradore purely for the matter of bloodlines. Frost assured the boys bizarre form of intelligence might surely have played some part. His violet gaze flicking back to the other man than in a clear surprise at the admittance Tobias had found him before- that vampiric mistress having failed to exact that same torment upon the deviant boy if only because he was simply not capable of being tormented in the same fashion. Hmm. How curious an idea and yet how sensible it was in turn. Frost allowing that consideration to turn within his own thoughts as he took another sip of that chilled drink. That woman had failed to break Tobias in the same fashion she had Tetradore- because Tobias was already broken. The foolish leopard immune to her to some degree because he simply did not have the capacity to feel. How long had he himself strived for such a state of being? How long had Tetradore attempted to pretend he did not care? How long had Frost thought Tobias the fool when in truth he had survived what neither himself nor the Panther had truly managed? That soft sound of amusement stirred from within him again- though he afforded it little explanation. His words near dead-pan once more as they came with that same cool abruptness they often did.

"I have seen inside Tobias' mind more than once. There is at least one thing he cares for more than just the present- and I am not talking of that mate of his. That sort of loyalty is hard to come by in this world anymore."

His gaze shifted but briefly from those charred ruins, affording Tetradore that near purposeful look if only to assure the man of who that very being was that Tobias cared for so much as to permeate the madness of his thoughts. That leopard's devotion to Tetradore himself was....unusual in its depth. Frost hardly caring to afford any further information on just what he had seen in the lunatics thoughts. The war horse instead considering Tetradore's choice in himself as that veritable heir of sorts- if only because he was fool enough to take it up. That amusement shared between them, it seemed, before Frost pressed on with those more potent questions. Tetradore slouching further against that car hood as he did, that gesture alone seeing the stallions own features crease slightly in disdain if only because it spoke of the lack of answer he was about to be afforded. That snort of derision following a moment later at Tetradore's admittance he hardly knew what they were facing. An army they could neither see nor count in number. How outmatched they were. How it irritated him to have an enemy he knew so little about. A brother. An army of Were-cats- and a gift for illusion. One real enough to convince Tetradore he had murdered that woman twice. Frost remaining silent in those moments that followed, his own features frowning at that utter lack of information. His arms folding across his chest in that moment- Frost affording no further comment, his disappointment in that lacking information surely clear, before suddenly inquiring after those extra provisions the man had mentioned for his pack.

His own violet gaze continued to linger on the scorched earth and growing bed of weeds before him as Tetradore spoke. His own thoughts continuing to turn. The idea of Tobias and Raven marrying prompted a small frown and yet the idea of that house, far from here, was not illogical even to his own mind. If Tobias could at all be persuaded to leave. That mention of a Vector was surprising, his gaze returned to Tetradore then before his own head simply nodded in silent agreement to that request to find space for Henry amongst his own pack. That was easy enough. The other man's mention of his own Calliel prompting that slightly lift of his own lip though as to what emotion that displayed was perhaps entirely debatable. His own head simply shaking then.

"If she wants to join you then let her. I have no issue with it and I trust you to keep her safe- she is intelligent and she can be of use but she is very young. Not just in body. She is prone to being temperamental and emotional so be wary of that. You should know too that her Father and Uncle are both Hunters- both of them have tried to murder me already. There is a chance you may inherit their- disapproval."

It was only fair to afford Tetradore that knowledge in turn of just what might come with the young Were-Mare if he chose to welcome her into his own pack. There was every chance the disdain of the girls family would remain with himself and yet that singular experience he had held with the woman's Father was enough to prompt that warning to the Panther all the same. How willing Tetradore was to inherit another battle his choice alone. Frost hardly finding the idea of his Vector residing beneath Tetradore's care an unwelcome idea. That stallion inclined to care for Calliel whether she chose to believe it or not. Frost determined to seek that revenge for her as much as himself in all that was to come within his own world. His head nodded once more at this mention of Jackal. These plans the Panther had made seeming decent enough. That silence that followed continuing to stretch for some moments before those words seemed to fall from his own lips. His gaze focused entirely away from the Panther as they did. Frost content to offer that rare insight, that singular admittance that he understood what perhaps no other had ever understood of Tetradore before- if only because he had lived it. Why he was prompted to do as such he hardly knew. That agitation encroaching upon his voice all the same as he forced it back- draining the last of that beer as he did in some attempt to return that indifference to himself even if Tetradore had been afforded a singular glance behind it. Was it a terrible thing to want to have another understand him in turn? Who better then the Panther? Frost hardly meeting the man's gaze even though he was aware of it upon him. That silent moment of....compassion between them both perhaps more telling than any words might ever be before the Panther spoke once more. Frost's own head shaking slightly again.

"There are some things no one understands unless they have lived them- they never will- not fully."

He hardly blamed Nadya, not truly, for her lack of understanding of her brother. How could she know? Yet too it seemed she had been far more understanding of his own predicament then her siblings though why he hardly knew. That not his battle to fight. Nadya and Tetradore's relationship a matter for them alone. His own relationship with the woman on decidedly good ground. That sudden playful shove against his shoulder seeming to jolt his thoughts back to the present. Such a gesture entirely unexpected and yet not totally unwelcomed. That more genuine amusement finding him once more in response to Tetradore's....attempts to lessen his own burden in some fashion. Frost assured it was not quite so simple as to scare away the Mounted Brigade and hunter Council they served and yet the sentiment was there all the same. His eyes rolling in that same near playful fashion. Frost finding he near...appreciated that gesture.

"Sure, mate."

That simper found his lips all the same, the comment of that beer prompting the panther to assure him he could get more. Frost managing a dubious look now as he regarded Tetradore once more. His own shoulders lifted into a shrug again, that simper remaining. His 'poison' as Tetradore called it- was illegal in this country if only for the lack of its people's ability to handle it. He'd have to make do with something else.

"Anything, everything. Whatever strikes your fancy."

Any alcohol was good alcohol as far as he was concerned. How the other man intended to get it remained to be seen. Frost folding one leg over the other then as he lent further back against that car, his fingers drumming against its surface for several long seconds. His words coming abruptly then.

"So we have a vampire with cat controlling illusion powers with a brother and a cat army that we know nothing about, whose influence seems to spread in nearly every direction leaving us with a very vague chance of success?"

He paused only briefly then, the man affording Tetradore little chance to answer before that soft chuckle rose from him, his hand suddenly held towards the panther.

"It sounds like the sort of odds I've been fighting most of my fucking life- so I suppose I'm in."

He waited only so long as it took the other man to take his hand, affording it that single, firm shake of agreement on that deal of sorts to inherit all Tetradore had- for the price of taking up that battle.

"Get the rest of those drinks and I'll teach you something about illusions. If we're in this together I might as well help you."

FrosT