[ He listens to Brook's explanation in silence, though his pale eyebrows raise a fraction when Brook says his human boss was "the worst". Considering how blithely Brook had talked about a friend trying to dismember him and how chill he'd been about a powerful entity putting a demon inside him... this lady must suck.

Interesting, the way Brook speaks about himself: that he does better with extensive direction. Nikolai has known many people like that in his life. But in his experience, very few of them were self-aware enough to recognize it. ]

In that case, I'm glad you don't work for her anymore. Even if she helped you for a while.

[ He doesn't know if gone is a euphemism for dead or not, but either way Brook seems like he's better off out from this woman's thumb. Nikolai will have to keep an eye out for Brook. If he ends up needing more direction in this place, well. Nikolai could probably help with that. It'd be the least he could do, in return for Brook's offer to help him.

It's all very mysterious. 'Scarlet's side' made it sound like some kind of a war. And why would having a Reaper have given his former boss an edge? Nikolai is deeply curious, but he's already pried a great deal, and Brook had been clear about not wanting to talk about the work he needed the demon for. ]

I suppose people have bigger fish to fry here than worrying about a few monsters, huh?

[ The far bigger threat would seem to be the captors that brought them here in the first place. Then again, Nikolai knows that sometimes, when faced with a power too big and too complex to dismantle, people lashed out at weaker targets to vent their frustration. ]

Still, better safe than sorry. Speaking of discretion, do you know of a place in this city where I might find some gloves? I normally wear them, to hide-

[ He gives a small grimace, flexing his hands to indicate the black scarring along them. ]

- but I didn't have them when I woke up here.