Speak of the Devil [Neku/Namine/Rin]

[Namine Joy LeBeau]

"Oh, I can think of a few, but most depend on your personality," My shoulders shrug. "But I am wondering how you're a halfer and a demon..."

I nuzzle Neku, "He apparently can sense these things."

[Haraken]

Rin blinked. That was news to him.

"Well... technically...or, well, literally..." He scratched his head. "Eh, I'm not good with words. Anyway, I should've been a Halfer. My blood father was a powerful demon... someone really high-up. And my mom was human. But... somehow, because my twin brother was weak, I got all of his mojo as well as mine, and I'm... evidently a full demon instead." He shrugged. "I dunno. The old man did a better job at explaining it... Yukio could prolly explain it better than I can. Anyway..." He grabbed the red carry-sheath, unslung it. "Anyway, this sword has all of my power in it. I used to be human... or as human as they could make me. But that kind of thing doesn't last forever, even if the power has someplace to go. It... started to get out."

He sighed, looked down at the sword.

"I wasn't ever supposed to draw it, but, I had to to save the old man. So I'm like this."

He waved his tail for emphasis.

[Namine Joy LeBeau]

I admit it... I watched his tail with a huge smile.

Anyways.

"Oh well... That's a new one."

[Haraken]

Rin looked from 'Natalie', to his tail, then back again, before orangey - Netic? - asked him another question.

"So all this 'young lord' stuff," he said, "what's all that about? You said your dad was pretty hihg up there... how high are we talking?"

There was something suspicious in his voice, and Rin sighed.

"The Fire King," he said, and Netic blinked.

".....your dad serves the Fire King?" he asked.

Rin sighed. "No. My dad is the Fire King."

[Namine Joy LeBeau]

"Okay, I'm pretty knowledgeable when it comes to Otherworldly stuff, buuuuttttttt," I sigh and lean a bit forward, bracing myself on Neku's knee. "Fire King? This is someone pretty important, right? So... The blue-ness is from your biological father, huh? Cool, maybe..."

I lean a little bit more forwards, a bright smile on my face, "You sound pretty bad ass for someone whom was just annoying as hell~"

[Neku Sakuraba]

I rolled my eyes.

"You remember the confrontation with Ifrit, Nat?" I asked. "Yeah, this guy is to Ifrit what Ifrit is to a Lesser."

I was still a little shocked. I didn't think demons that high up had affairs with humans, any kind of affairs, much less that kind of affair!

Rin shrugged, looked uncomfortable. "I don't like to talk about it," he mumbled. "It's not like I'm really a demon, anyway." His tail was still swishing back and forth a little across the floor where we were sitting. "I'm looking for the Head of the Network so that... well, so that maybe I can get some stuff worked out."

A chill went down my spine. He was looking for the Head, huh...

"Stuff?" I asked instead.

"Yeah... I was told that if the Network found out who I really was, they'd have to kill me, so I made a deal with this guy who was in charge back where I used to live to let me join up and learn how to fight. But he told me that if anyone else found out that I was a demon, they wouldn't be able to let me live so I'd have to leave town and never come back. When it happened, he sent me ahead to the next town with instructions to make the same deal with me. That happened a couple of times... here."

He pulled out a folder from his bag.

"They make me carry this around. If I do't have it on me, they told me they had the right to kill me because I was a demon."

My fist clenched, claws digging into my skin. "They. Said. What?" I growled, doing my best to keep from sparking into uncontrolled rage. "How long ago was this?!"

"Two years," he said.

My eyes blazed into glowing green light.

"I-is that a bad thing?" he asked, clearly freaked out, so I shut my eyes and concentrated on getting rid of the anger.

"If you see the Head," I growled, "I'm a hundred percent sure that he'll change all of that."

The problem was getting him to see the Head.

[Namine Joy LeBeau]

"Yeah, he's really against all these hatred things," I nod and smile. "He'll set things correct, I know it!" Leaning back, I cuddle into Neku.

"So... what now?" My question is directed at my chair, but meh, the other can answer too.

[Neku Sakuraba]

"We take him to see the Head," I said finally, letting Nami get comfy. "We need to go to Veil after all... it's the Network's base."

"Then why'd the old man say you were who I needed to talk to?"

I blinked. Then I realized who the 'old man' must've been.... and sighed.

"Because I'm the only guy who can get you in to see him," I said. I looked at Nami.

Should I tell him I'm Neku? Or should we go with a lie?

[Namine Joy LeBeau]

I frown before glancing between the two and sighing, Allow me to brake the ground... Besides he acts like he knows. So I stand with grace and flip my hair back as I walk over in front of the other. Leaning in I examine him a moment before smirking, "I'll let you in on a secret... My nickname isn't Nat, its Nami... You seeing where I'm coming from yet?" I raise a brow before pushing forward. "As a matter of fact my name is Namine LeBeau. Of the LeBeau Academy... But that's besides the point, whilst within the perimeters of the Network and its workings I am but merely a Coordinator below the Head of all Head Watchers himself."

I pause before jerking my head at Neku, "And that person over there, the one I affectionately call 'Boss' is Neku Sakuraba. Head of the Network. Sexy as hell. And kind enough to boot~." Giggling I lean back. "There now our dirty little secret is out, but please don't go telling anyone........... I'd much rather keep things on the down low."

My sigh is dramatic.

"And I'd hate to find out what happens when I actually need to get even with someone... No. No... Cross dressing won't do for you, you're not as fun to stare at~"

Smirk.

"Anyways, back to business," And I plop back onto Neku's lap with a huge grin and nuzzle up under his chin. "Chat away darlings."

[Neku Sakuraba]

I listened to Nami's words.... winced. He was giving me this wide-eyed, puppy-dog stare.

"The Head of the Network is a demon?!" he asked, incredulously. "No wonder you said you'd fix it!"

I sighed.

"Let's get this cleared up," I said, wincing inwardly at what was about to happen. "I never said I could fix it for you. I said the Head could. And the Head isn't a demon, can't ever be a demon, never will be a demon. The Network hunts demons, and from your own experience, you can tell that actually working with one, no matter what their intentions are, doesn't sit well with most of the cells."

I sighed.

"The head of the Network isn't me. He's a Halfer named Lea Strife. A Halfer who is, no doubt, incredibly angry with his best friend, Neku Sakuraba, right now, for resigning a week ago and then disappearing without a trace to a secret vacation with his fiancee."

[Namine Joy LeBeau]

My eyes narrow to slits and I give Neku a hard, cold stare, "Please tell me I heard you wrong, mon amor, but I think I just head you say something absolutely stupid and horrifying!"

[Neku Sakuraba]

I winced.

"No... you heard me right," I said as Rin looked at us with an expression halfway between amusement and worry. "Lea's the Head Watcher. Your boss. I'm not the Head. Lea's going to do a great job; if we send him to Lea, he'll get the whole thing fixed up. He's a better leader than I ever was anyway; he's going to do a great job with it."

[Namine Joy LeBeau]

Before Neku can finish his last sentence I've pulled off my flip flop and dust it off. Then proceed to whack him upside the head, "YOU MORON!" I stand and glare, hands on hips. "You selfish, ignorant, jack ass!"

"..." My glare becomes one that can and is going to make a demon feel like they're freezing over in Hell. " If I would of know this! THIS! I wouldn't of agreed so quickly to this whole vacation thing! How dare you abandon all you worked for! How dare you crush so much in so little of a time? You're a prick you know..."

I pause and then growl under my breath, "You can NOT just run away like this! I won't let you!"

Admittedly I am personally hurt by this as well... But that's besides the point!

[Neku Sakuraba]

I shot to my feet, eyes narrowed, fangs bared. "Namine, look at me! Okay? I know you do it everyday, but I want you to step back, describe me to yourself, just the way I am! If you'd had all of your memories of me wiped out, if you'd just met me, if you had no clue who I was, what would you do?"

I didn't wait for an answer.

"You'd try to kill me. That's what you would do. That's what any Otherborn would do. Any Network member, especially from the old guard. Which is, by the way, over half the Network right now."

I clenched clawed fists, fanged jaws, dropped slit-pupiled eyes to the floor, eyes framed by orange hair and ivory horns, a face set in a frame of huge, night-black wings, a blue tint to the scales, a red tint to the leather.

"I'm a demon, Namine. If I lead... if they find out... the old guard will hunt me down. Any member of the new guard that still, by some miracle, believes in me, will ride out to meet them. There'll be civil war in the underground. We'll be so busy fighting each other, the demons will take that moment to kill us all off, one by one." I reached out, took her shoulders with my claws, careful not to dig in or squeeze too hard. "The Network will destroy itself. The demons will destroy the world. That's the future we'll have if I'm still in charge. Lea's a Halfer; that's the reason he didn't want to be a Watcher, because there's enough prejudice there already. But if I leave the Network in his hands, abdicate for him, then by the time there's a call for another vote he'll have proven himself enough that they'll all gather around him. He'll create a more open, a more tolerant Network, and he'll kick the asses of anyone who disagrees. Halfers will have someone to follow. And... people like me..." I trailed off, shook my head. Closed my eyes.

"...People like me will also, finally, have a place to belong. But I can't do that... even as a human, I couldn't do that. Because it takes someone from both worlds. That's why the code I used was created in the first place. If something happened so that I couldn't lead anymore... because Lea refused to take my position while I still could lead."

[Namine Joy LeBeau]

"What would I do? You think I'd kill anything at the drop of the hat? Do I look like my mother?? DON'T ANSWER THAT!" And I push his hands off my shoulders. "I can't believe you! After all we promised each other, promised others! You're our safe gaurd, our shoulder to cry on, our reminder of cilization! You're the one that stands up when everything looks like its all going to end! You're the motivation behind so many...! But now.. Now...!"

My gaze widens and I step away from them both, "I don't know you anymore, can't trust someone who brakes promises! What was it that you always said? Oh right, this is your city! Now you're giving it up just that? This is meant to be your Network...! I JUST CAN'T BELIEVE YOU! AND WHAT YOU DID TO LEA? LEAVING HIM LIKE THAT?! I thought you two were like brothers, Neku, brothers... Siblings don't do this. And neither do leaders... I just... No... You're being stupid. Stupid!"

I pause.

"A war huh? What's gonna happen when people show even less respect for Lea? They'll leave and most don't even give a rat's ass, Neku! I thought you were the last step I had to take, the last step I needed in order to show my parents I can be something! That I am something!" My fists clench. "If I can't believe in you, I have nothing. If they can't believe in you... Then they will shortly have nothing..."