Cyran scurried away before he had to answer Iryla’s question, to which he would have inevitably said something along the lines of I’m an adult, so I’m allowed to. Those kinds of things were dangerous thoughts to have- no matter how much he was already attached, he was not Iryla’s actual father and had no right to act as such, no matter how much that stunt worried him. He moved quickly, as if physical distance could help clear his thoughts and stop him from saying anything he might regret.

Placing an order for a meal was quick enough- he was ashamed to admit that in his haste he’d forgotten he had no money, so he put that on his tab as well- and Cyran waited at the bar for a few moments, surveying the area when he spotted Zarius approaching Iryla and leading her off to a more private booth in the back of the room, where they were less likely to be disturbed.

Cyran kept a wary eye on the two of them, and the attention they seemed to have garnered- mostly lingering, concerned looks from other patrons, but even that kind of attention was still too much for someone in his line of business. He frowned thoughtfully, drumming his fingers against the table while he waited for his order. He’d hoped to keep a low profile, but after the events of tonight, he had no doubt linked himself to Zarius. That in itself was not a problem, but if he was going to work for Zarius, he wanted to do it where he operated best, in the comforting shadows of anonymity.

The bartender came back with his food, and Cyran retrieved the bowls, making his way to the booth, though he hung to the shadows where his approach would not be noticed as easily. As he got closer, he caught the tail end of conversation, Iryla’s words harsh and demanding. “I don’t expect any of what I’ve been given today to be given to me for free…”

Cyran halted in his tracks, startled by the stubbornness in her words. Were they talking about Zarius’s assistance today? Cyran was no fool as to believe that anything he’d given- the clothes, the advice, the promise of assistance- was out of the goodness of his heart. But he didn’t want Iryla thinking that was a burden on her shoulders. He had a feeling if he approached them now, they would stop talking, so he held back and listened for a few moments.

“You think I could be useful, don’t you? It’d be in my best interest to prove you right.”

The conversation lapsed into silence once more, leaving Cyran to process what he’d just heard. It was nothing he hadn’t expected- he’d only met Zarius once before, but it was enough to get a good grasp of his character. He was guarded, kept things close to his chest, constantly searching for things that might be of use to him. Cyran had met more than enough criminals in his lifetime, though, and he did not mind pledging his allegiance to Zarius. That had always been the plan.

But now, with Iryla involved, things had gotten more complicated.

Cyran wasn’t sure exactly what Zarius could want from her, but he had already promised her that she wouldn’t have to pay a cent for anything she’d received today. She deserved someone who could keep their word to her.

And just like that, his loyalty had already been cemented. Whatever Iryla’s perceived debt was, that was no matter. Cyran would just have to work twice as hard to pay it off.

Their conversation had mellowed, seemingly turning to Iryla’s shirt, which she’d apparently put on backwards somehow- it seemed like a good enough place for Cyran to jump in. He made his way to the booth and set the plates down, keeping his expression carefully blank.

“Sorry, that took me a minute.” He apologized. “The bar was busier than I anticipated.”

He sat next to Iryla, across from Zarius, fixing the tiefling with a resolute look that said, leave her out of it. He would not force Iryla to pay anything that he could handle himself. He was already entrenched in this dark line of business, and he had skills that would be more than useful for Zarius. He could take care of things.

He turned to Iryla, a calm smile on his face. “So, what did I miss?”

The tiefling’s eyes narrow at the half-elf teen as she confronts him and makes assumptions about his inner thoughts. It wasn’t an uncommon thing in Darkveil, so he could understand why Iryla came to that conclusion about him. He did indeed have power and wealth, most of it gained through nepotism, though he was making a name for himself in recent years.

She wasn’t wrong, but there was an issue with her general attitude about the situation. Of course he could find use for her, but he had little interest in people working for him out of some perceived debt they needed to pay off. That wasn’t how he did things.

His father kept to the shadows and relied on his minions to do his dirty work, but Zarius was more hands on with his work, preferring to step into the fray himself. To him, it showed that he was confident enough in his own abilities and his connections to risk painting a target on his back. Some would call it arrogance, but so far it had proven to get the necessary results. His network was growing, and the bonds he had forged through hard work and risking his own safety were stronger than any created by an exchange of Solars.

While he would hesitate to call anyone a true friend, having allies who would willingly defend him without being motivated by lining their own pockets with coin was worth more to him than anything he would purchase for them. If he wanted to accomplish his goals, he needed people who would not hesitate to risk their own safety for him. Course that kind of self-sacrifice would only be gained if he did the same for them. It had to be a give and take, a mutually beneficial relationship, otherwise it would not survive him pushing the boundaries of the trust he gained.

The reality was that he was not a good person by any stretch of the imagination. He was an ambitious person with selfish goals. Allies were a means to an end to him. Though he’d never let them know that. He’d rather take a hit for an ally than have them retaliate against him if they felt they had been manipulated or cheated. Even if that was what was really going on behind the scenes.

His expression softens as Iryla gets distracted with her shirt. He can't help but snicker a bit.

“Yes, that is correct now.”

He glances at Cyran as he joins them at the table. Their eyes lock and the hunter gives him a very easy to interpret look. Zarius sits back and sighs with some exhasperation.

“I think you both are making the wrong assumptions about my intentions. I do not expect to be paid back for anything.”

He folds his arms and closes his eyes. This wasn’t exactly a confrontation he wanted to have today, but perhaps he can put the two at ease.

“Of course I am happy to talk about making some sort of business arrangement for the future, but at no point do I intend to claim that anyone owes me anything. While there are many that operate that way in this city, I do not. I prefer to be on equal footing with those I work with and leave it up to them to decide if they even want a partnership or not. Agency is important in building trust, and trust is very important to me.”

He looks at the two of them, the gleam of his golden eyes emphasized by the slight shadow cast over him in the booth.

“If you cannot trust me to defend you when your back is turned, how can I expect the same of you?”

He lets the words hang in the air for a moment before their food arrives. Whether they believed him or not, that was up to them, but he had been earnest and forthright. There was no point in deceiving those who may yet be brought to stand at his side along with the likes of Caedes, Eirynor and Snow.

“We can talk about any particulars another time. For the time being, let us just enjoy this meal and be thankful none of use are dead in an alley right now.”