Vinzent was not a stranger to actually working. Now, sure, he did it most of the time under the table, and typically in less-than-legal fashion, but occasionally, the easy money was enough for him. Serving tables at the Bird’s Perch was one such way to get easy money. It wasn’t difficult, the place was just so big, it was quite a lot of walking. Still, Vinny didn’t mind. As he traveled through the different rooms, getting food to people and all that jaz, he wasn’t expecting this day to be very eventful.



It wasn’t until the group of men came in, looking to make trouble, and unfortunately, Vinny recognised them. Some of them he was okay with, but the two people leading the group, not so much. Vinny was lucky enough to spot them before he got seen.



Without a word, Vinny paused at the table he was serving, and watched them carefully. “Shit, shit shit…” He mumbled under his breath.

Sylvari stretched in boredom as she surveyed the tavern's main room, a ritual that she had adopted in her travels, always spending the first eve in a new place looking for potential meals. No, people. I refuse to reduce them to that. They have their own lives. I just need to use a bit of their essence to tide me over. I can hunt in the wild.

Sylvari smacked her lips distastefully at the thought. Animal essence was nearly unpalatable compared to the ambrosia of people, but it was easier to suffer on the conscience. Still, try as she might, Sylvari had learned the pitfalls of trying to subsist solely on livestock for her sustenance. Too many close calls and near-kills when she starved herself. So here she was, scouring the place for a partner to slake her dark thirst. Sylvari had come upon a habitual mindset that helped her pick targets that was consistently enough; she just needed to wait for the right time.

The tables and chairs near Sylvari's resting place were conspicuously empty, given the relatively full house elsewhere in the Bird's Perch, but she wasn't survived at this revelation. She cut an imposing figure in her bulky breastplate, which had been stained black, and her imposing metal club that hung at her hip. Adding to the mystery was a black and silver veil, perennially worn over the top half of her face, and a practiced frown of displeasure that she would level at any who were not her quarry.

As the boredom of waiting set in, Sylvari sighed. She hated this part, this dreaded waiting. She was a woman of action, and she could barely stand this infernal game of patience. However, as a group of rough and tumble types entered the space with determined looks of criminality on their faces, Sylvari cracked a close-lipped smile. perhaps this afternoon wouldn't be so boring after all. She unslung her heavy club in preparation as she sat, watching the scene unfold.

Vinny cautiously eyed them as he slipped behind a pillar, just as someone caught his eye. One of the bumbling men, who had clearly been drinking that day already, grumbled. “Oh, joy. The Whelp is here.”



Vinny took a moment to be offended by that.



Slowly, he started toward the back of house. He, unfortunately, had already been seen. The smaller one of the two started following him. “Oh, I wonder where he’s goin. Come on, Whelp. Ya work here, where’s your service?” He taunted. Vinny rolled his eyes, as he mumbled in response. “Turns out my shift is done for the da– Eh!”



The man had grabbed his collar from behind. The couple following behind the two troublemakers stayed back, not wanting to step in. Vinny just sort of pushed the other kid away. “Hey. You don’t want to start a scene now, do you? You know how well that usually ends for you.” Empty threats, honestly. But everyone in the circle knew the kind of friends Vinny had. The boy just scoffed. “Come on, Vinny-boy. Ya know you don’t scare us.”



Vinny just stared in response. “What do you want, Cecil?”



The boy just scoffed in response. “Buddy! Don’t ya remember? You owe our business some money…”



“And I said I was working on it,” Vinny snapped. The group was forming an audience now. Vinny looked extremely uncomfortable as they stared eachother down for a moment.

The scrape of chair legs against the polished wooden floor could be heard throughout the bar as Sylvari stood up. The situation was quickly unraveling, and disturbed patrons made for poor hunting grounds. 

Sylvari pushed her way to the front of the gathered crowd, the patrons parting before her as she physically moved them out of the way. It seemed the group had singled out one of the wait staff and currently had him by the collar, like a mother cat would collect a wayward kitten by the scruff. Sylvari didn't care to cause a scene, drawing attention to oneself is a surefire way to make everyone wary of you, but if she wished a tranquil evening, it seemed she had no choice. She placed a gauntleted hand on the one who had grappled the server and whirled him around forcibly to face her, with the waiter still in his grasp.

"I believe the fine server has given you the answer regarding payment. Now be a good lad and get out of here, this establishment doesn't need thugs harassing its staff." ^{[Powerful Presence]} The weight of Sylvari's gaze and the commanding tone she used proved too much for the man's fragile mind, which fell over like a house of cards when she pressed it.

Immediately, a glazed look dominated his visage as he let go of the boy and mumbled, "Don't want to ruin the Bird's Perch's reputation. It's a fine place, after all. Let's go, boys." One of the more perceptive of his number shook off his initial confusion at the change of events and identified Sylvari as the cause of his leader's sudden change of heart. "Oi! She's got a spell on him. Let him go, demon!" 

A painfully telegraphed fist flew towards Sylvari's face, who dodged the clumsy strike and twisted the arm behind him, making the man cry out in pain. "If I'm a demon," Sylvari began in a sickly-sweet voice, "It would be wise to leave my den. Off with you." She released the man, who was promptly clocked on the head by the leader, still enthralled, who muttered something about 'disturbing fine ladies', before the group vacated the premises.

Sylvari looked over to the poor waiter who had been at the center of it all. "Are you ok, friend?"

There really wasn’t much Vinny could do in this situation. He was thrown to the side, and took a moment to recover, but it didn’t take long for him to figure out what was going on. He stared at the boys as they left, and part of him felt… Bitter? This person probably just made that situation significantly worse for him later on. The boys looked behind to Vinny, glaring harshly. Yeah. That wasn’t a good sign.



Vinny, as a response, was sort of lost in thought for a minute. He had stolen a couple of things from them, and was caught, only to be let go with a few conditions; He leaves the other two that were with them, and he pays them back the amount the items were worth. It wasn’t that much, but it was more than what Vinny usually got for a job. More than what his cost of living, plus some of the kids, would cover. It’s either the go hungry for a few nights, or he pays them back. He knew they wouldn’t cause any issues publicly. Or so he thought.



Vinny glared at the woman who had come to his rescue. ”Didn’t need the help.” He mumbled in response, pulling the apron off. “I would have handled it on my own. They’re not as scary as they pretend to be.”



He couldn’t be too mad, he reasoned. She was trying to help. Though, her reasons are her own.



He looked over at the woman for a minute. He could probably guess why she stepped in, but he didn’t really care.

The weight of the displeasure in Sylvari's glare was palpable. I go out of my way for this boy, and he makes light of my efforts? Well, there's nothing for it. Not everyone is happy to be helped, and anyway I've already drawn too much attention. Better to make light of the situation and let the spectators die down. 

Sylvari forcibly changed her expression to one of whimsy, curling her lips up into an impish smile. "Who said my intent was to help you? I just like my drinks without the ambiance of teeth from shattered jaws on the floor." Sylvari leaned close to the boy, feeling a small pang of sympathy, before whispering. "It ruins the mystique, but I don't like seeing people in your situation. Use this to pay the debt." She slid a small pouch of solars into his hands before retreating back to her table.

Sylvari gave a little sigh. She didn't care about the money. She had arms and armor enough, and no use for it besides, what with her nourishment being taken care of. She just knew from experience that she would likely have to leave to find another tavern. Displays of strength made the other patrons jumpy. She just had to wait for the lingering eyes on her to occupy their gaze elsewhere, and she would slip from this place.

“In my situation–” He couldn’t help but sound a little annoyed. What did she know about his situation? She knew nothing! It was nothing more than someone pretending to care so that they could feel better about themselves. Of course she’d offer him money and then just dip. Gods above, people these days.



He had to take a step back, and he would make his way into the back area to just drop off his stuff, and tell the bossman he would be back later. It's not like he could stop him. Vinny never actually worked there. As fast as he tried to be, as he left, he saw the girl walk away from the establishment. He paused for a moment, before following.



The girl was trying to find a new tavern, or somewhere else to eat. Somewhere she hadn’t garnered any attention. She would be successful, but before she started inside, he stepped in front of her out of the shadows, offering her the coin pouch back. “Sorry, love. I don’t take handouts.” He spoke, his face showing no emotion other than slight annoyance.

Sylvari was not at all surprised to see the boy she had intervened for before materialize in front of her out of the shadows. It wasn't as if he was overly obvious; in fact, Sylvari had to admit she had not heard him over the soft clanking of her armor as she walked and likely would never have noticed if she was a normal person. However, she was far from normal, and had decided to embrace and master her potential within. ^{[Chaos Touched]} She had, in fact, sensed his gentle pulse of innate arcana tailing her since she left the tavern.

In response to his statement, Sylvari merely gave an odd smile. "Oh, it's 'love' now? Such familiarity. I had thought you quite exasperated by my intervention before." Sylvari's eyes blazed in amusement beneath her veil. "No matter. It's not a handout, 'love'. Consider it a down payment on information I wish to purchase from you. I'm hunting a particular criminal syndicate that's moved into town and is preying on the poor of this village. Given your involvement with the thugs from earlier, who better to be an informant than yourself?"

Sylvari's lips were set in an easy, expectant smile, as if giving a gift that could not be refused.

He shoved it towards her again, the coins in the bag clanking against her armor. “I’m not an informant. Do you really believe a person in my position survives through being a snitch?” Not known to many people how much of a death sentence that was for people like him. “I don’t know what sort of world you live in, but that’s really not the smartest move out here.” He scoffs. “Unless you got somethin’ better to offer, you’re a bit shit out of luck there.”



She could see from the glint in his eyes that he was absolutely familiar with the syndicate she mentioned. He was also looking around, almost as if he was trying to make sure no one was around. If word got out that the two of them were even talking, many more issues would arise for him. He was not interested in more issues. There was no fear in his eyes, though. Just apprehension. Cautiousness.

A sad smile graced Sylvari's face at his words. "Survival, is that it? Don't you dream of something more? Of flourishing instead of floundering? I can tell by your eyes that you know of the ones I seek. If you were afraid for yourself, I wouldn't press you, but I don't think that's it either. So tell me, little bird, what can I provide you to make you sing?"

Sylvari felt a great compassion in her heart for the boy as she conversed with him. She had met too many of his sort in her travels: sometimes older, often younger, but all with that same desperation, that same shadow in their persona that indicated they knew every day might be their last. Much as she wished to help all of them, there and then, providing homes and care for those that needed it, it was simply too big a task for one person. The governments of the nations might be able, if they could ever get their noses unburied from the bureaucratic process long enough to see the pain around them, but Sylvari wasn't convinced of the likelihood of that event. She had resolved to helping in small ways, where she could, like the coin she had given the lad, and to combat root causes, such as the syndicate she now sought.

Sylvari also knew just how ingratiated and difficult to root out such enterprises were, even in relatively small communities like this one. This boy was likely her best chance at finding them, and she was prepared to offer whatever she had for his assistance.

Curious. He stared at her with an untrusting glare. He genuinely had a hard time believing that she was doing this out of the goodness of her own heart, and so, simply, he did not. “The truth,” He responds simply, “would be a good start.” He left the coins with her as he stepped inside, giving her a glance that told her to follow.



This tavern was a lot less popular than the Dragons’ Brass, and much smaller, of course. He did take a quick glance around to make sure no one suspicious was in here. Once he cleared it, he sat down. “First, you’re buying.” He said, gesturing over to her bag of coins. “Second, stop bullshitting me. You tried it once, it doesn’t work. Don’t speak down to me. I’m smarter than I look. Now… Why do you want to find this group of people? Whats in it for you? Do you owe them? Are you getting paid? And how much?”

Sylvari followed the boy into a new tavern and listened as he laid out his terms. She left the bag of coins sitting on the table undisturbed and retrieved a few coins from her personal coin purse to pay the tab, looking poignantly at her companion as she did so.

"Oh, darling, I never meant to imply I questioned you intelligence. Your insight could use some work, though. I have spun no falsehoods to you, though it would have been easier to do so. I speak the truth to you because I recognize that look in your eyes. The feeling of being trapped, of not having hope for a better tomorrow. If you must see some selfishness in my actions, there it is. I want to lift the spirits of others to further justify my own hope for the future."

Sylvari took measured sips of the wine she ordered. She absentmindedly noted the vintage was fairly sub-par, but she didn't care much for mortal refreshment of any quality any more.

"And if you'd be so kind, would you tell me your name? Mine's Sylvari."

“Bullshit. Nobody does anything out of the kindness of their heart.” He said, set in his point of view. “Now, to be sure, you also have no idea what my life is like. You know, it’s always people like you. The ones that insist they are doing something purely out of kindness, but it’s more you just wanna feel good about yourself, right? You want gratitude? Want me to say thank you and get on my knees.” He sat back, staring at her with little to no emotions. “For all you know I could be the richest boy in town. But you see someone who’s struggling, someone you want to treat like their helpless.”

A smile broke his face, cold and daring. “Given you’re not wrong. But I’m not surviving for myself. I’ve already been through my hell. So what hell did you go through that makes you so… like this. Someone who goes out of their way to offer a job to a kid… out of the ‘kindness of their own heart?’”

Vinny starts to stand up. “I’m not buying it.”

Striking lightning quick like a viper, Sylvari's fingers closed around the boy's arm as he braced himself on the table to stand. Instinctual, pulsing eldritch energy formed in claws around where she grabbed his wrist, and her mouth was pulled back into a soundless snarl, revealing her prominent fangs. Slowly, purposefully, predatorially, Sylvari moved to lower her veil with her free hand, drawing it down just far enough to reveal a glimpse of the pupilless, crimson orbs it concealed.

"Speak carefully, child. I battle my own demons every day. I do not pretend to be some paragon of virtue. I just want to tip the scales back towards the good ever so slightly. I just want to help them remove one godsdamned chain from their neck. Help me or no, I will find those responsible and make them all face justice for their deeds, be it days, or weeks, or months, or years. As you can see, time is not a factor for me."

Sylvari calmed herself and relaxed her grip on her companion, feeling a mixture of guilt and compassion towards the boy. "I apologize. That was untoward of me. The choice is yours on whether or not to help me is up to you. I will take no action against you either way. I'm sorry to see that life has been so cruel that you are unable to believe in the good of others." Sylvari merely gave him a sad smile and pushed the proffered coin purse to him once again, closing his fingers around it with a gentle squeeze.

He pulled away, out of instinct, staring at her coldly. He’s been manhandled, beaten up, and threatened, but this one was definitely out of the ordinary. Unfortunately, as he pulled out of her grasp, her nails did manage to catch his skin, and he examined the lightly bleeding scratch on his arm.

Without another word, he sat down. “If you ever touch me like that again, I would gently encourage you never to show your face here again.” He said, almost whispering it to her as he grabbed a rag, wiping off some of the blood.

His intrigue was sparked. She had made herself interesting. “I forget that other people - even people like you, who are clearly capable of taking care of themselves- could start out the same way I did. We all have our own demons, blah blah. Let’s not get too deep into that.” He reached out, grabbing the coin purse. “I also should remember not to ask too many questions.” He noted.

“I’ll help. Under one condition. Protection. For me and my kids.”