#but he used Crowe's microexpressions towards his list to figure out it the relation

[thewolfisawake]

Crowe noticed the guy with one of the other competitors. Were they simply chatting as fellow rivals or were these companions? He leaned towards the latter as they sat in the same box and went back and forth. It was too far to make out what was being said. However it wasn't far enough for Crowe to miss the signal the red head gave. And the line of sight from the man made it clear this was directed towards him.

While he made a flippant comment, he did put in a time to check in on him if something went awry. Crowe then excused himself from his friends. Leaving the seats seemed to be signal for the man to also make his way away. The one that defeated him remaining behind. Well, at least it wasn't two on one.

Despite the throngs, Crowe was on the lookout for the other. It wasn't easy despite the vibrant red but he knew well the tricks to downplay one's presence. Yet Crowe knew from the gaze that pierced through the crowd to him. There was a nod of the head towards a less crowded area within the stadium. While there was safety in crowds...there were also no privacy. So he complied with the change of locale.

"I thank you for the courtesy of coming. Alone as well, my you are either quite honorable or quite full of yourself," the man said once they were away from the noise of the crowd and prying eyes.

"Well you are certainly the latter to call someone down with their own signals and lead a meeting like this," Crowe remarked. Not that he didn't have reason to feel confident after his match. But the spy also noticed the signal used was one hunters slightly older than himself and his friends would use. He probably learned it from the elf, "Who are you and what is your connection with that guy?"

"So impatient, we only just met and started to converse. You can call me Donovan," he laid a hand over his heart and gave a small bow, "and I have come on Fullisade's behalf as he is one of my charges. So I intend take responsibility for him."

"Doubt you would want to take responsibilities that lead to imprisonment. If you have good intentions, know that he doesn't have them and is considered a fugitive. Defending him will mean that you will go down with him."

"That's all of what? A few decades? A century or two max? I wouldn't mind serving that on his behalf if it meant you left him in peace. Let all of us go back to our festivities. But I don't have permission from my lady to shirk my duties right now. Might that be delayed in that case?"

Crowe examined the man. If he spoke about sentences so flippantly, odds are he wasn't a normal nonhuman. Question was which sort of being, "I'm afraid the decision for that is outside of the scope of my job. That is for the council and the Oculi to decide and until then, he'd have to be in custody."

"Unfortunately he can't do that."

"Unfortunately, you don't have a say," Crowe told him, his voice tinged with his accursed line. The pang did reach Donovan but he didn't flinch. If anything it seemed to confirm his suspicions.

"Then we are at an impasse," Donovan sighed, "what a shame, I wanted to do this peacefully."

Crowe hovered near his holsters, "What? You want to fight me over this?"

"That wouldn't be worth my time. You are still wounded from the gunshot Fullisade gave you. And the moment you do attempt to go for me, you'll get yourself and every single one of your little hunters banned from this stadium," Donovan told him, "the sponsors of this tournament have made the neutrality of it clear. And even the Bastion's prestige won't let them escape punishment."

Damn, Crowe really hoped that he didn't know about that. Pursuing anyone would be considered against the sanctions of the tournament. It was meant as a haven to allow for grudges to be suspended for the sake of entertainment and sportsmanship. And like Donovan pointed out, not even the Bastion was exempt from this. But how could he just let someone from their books go without an attempt? Good conduct isn't grounds to let a traitor that got dozens killed and more endangered go free.

"You also can't harm me unless you also want to get ejected from the tournament," Crowe reasoned, "and you seem quite intent on staying."

And if he and Jasper were going to see this through, then they weren't leaving here. And while correct that doing so would get a lot of hunters here for a good time kicked out...this applied if one would get caught. Crowe himself already showed he couldn't contain Jasper--and now most likely Donovan--on his own. The idea of stalling to wait for Emil or Kat to follow him down did come to mind. They could probably deal with him here and be able to trick Jasper towards them. Or if this guy held more tricks to him, he might need to call on any other blackbird here.

"You know, your gaze is similar to hers," Donovan quipped, breaking Crowe's train of thought, "What?"

"Your gaze," the older man repeated, "it is similar to Lady Euryale's. Although is that a matter of shared eye color or the charm that comes with those of the gorgon lineage?"

Despite the semi-familiarity Crowe held because of his friends' knowledge...the mention of what ran through his veins chilled him. He kept his features neutral as he said, "Not familiar with a 'Lady Euryale' so I can't say if you're right on that front."

"You probably wouldn't use that in regards to her so it may be more like mother, sister, grandmother, aunt...but I do recognize the intent to cause hysteria and attempts at petrification. Why you did not do so in your fight or even as we speak is beyond me. But the importance is knowing a scheme lurking behind those eyes. So allow me to be clear--"

The phoenix moved quicker than Crowe could defend himself. A sickening crack was heard as stars ignited and burst within his vision. Splotches of light and black muddled his sight. Yet the eyes like a blade's edge were the only steadying point as a the hand on neck tightened like noose. One that Crowe struggled and clawed against.

"You contact anyone outside of here, you go after Fullisade," Donovan's voice flitted with the flippant tone he spoke the entire exchange. However there was a darkness--a danger--that lurked and intermingled within it. Like the pot slowly heating up for a hapless frog. Those silver eyes could maim him with but a command, "you give me reason to believe you'll harm any of those that are under my protection...those three will be dead before they hit the ground."

And Crowe wished so dearly that those eyes would take him. It would be better than this threat behind muderous and airy words and punctuated with vise that'd make a boa seem kind. The very idea that Donovan would take out the three likely waiting for his return. Three that would go looking if he didn't come back like he asked. And it terrified him of them running into this man, this monster lurking in flesh and niceties. Because there was little doubt in his mind that Katarina, Emil or Aspis would be murdered by his hand with an adroit ease.

On the cusp of losing consciousness, Donovan released the blackbird into a graceless heap. He straightened his jacket and adjusted his gloves before he spared a glance again. His frame now towered over Crowe's broken one, "It is a shame, you have so much potential shackled behind anxieties and proprieties. Your grandmother would be disappointed to see you lack the vainglory those eyes deserve."

His eyes widened. His grandmother? Why her? However he received no answer as the phoenix intended to side step him. Yet there was blade held at his tendon. Crowe despite his head spinning and vision threatening to revolt, growled, "You hurt any of them, I'll make hell look like a mercy."

"Finally, something of your words," Donovan remarked as he kicked the blade away, "If we ever have the chance, I would like to see more than embers. I'm sure the folks at Aletheia would welcome someone like you. But until next time, little bird."

With that, Donovan walked away leaving Crowe with but splinters of his pride. He fought to keep himself from slipping into the relief of sleep. He wasn't worth that after such a thorough loss. And this was merely a guardian to Aletheia--gods, what would've prepared him fro that--not even one amongst their ranks...

Hope for anything against them was slim. But...he looked down and could see the trace of a golden thread. It shone but also wavered and flickered under the lights. Following one end seemed to stop around his fingers. The other was now gone but not amiss.

...that wouldn't mean that he couldn't bide his time and work within those odds.