• PM To Join • Finding Finn

[Nightshade Eld]

Ashan 63rd, 718

When it came to information there was a seeming impossibility for Nightshade to be good at gathering. She was a smart person by all means, but she wasn't good with other people. Being able to understand what was going on within a city was highly dependent on one's ability to understand the people who resided in it. That was why the half-breed needed to think about bringing some more sneaky people into the business. She wasn't the most comfortable with the idea, but it wouldn't be the first time she bent the situation to fit her needs. She worked in more of a moral grey than she'd completely admit to herself, though she was starting to come to terms with it more and more every season. She worked for the benefit and safety of the people, she upheld the spirit of the law. She wasn't the one who upheld the word of the law, and perhaps in that regard, there was more honor. Carefully she picked through each situation as best she could and picked the solution that she thought to be best.

That was why she needed someone sneaky. She needed someone who could get the information the half-breed would never find available given her situation and nature. At first, she thought this was going to be an impossible job until she remembered something. Information always seemed to get around among children, specifically those close to the street. She remembered the child she'd met closer to the begin of the season. He'd called himself Finn, brought her a job, and then disappeared without a trace. Of course, she'd given him a nel for bringing her the man instead of any of the other people in the city he could have gone to. Blackguard, mercenaries, bounty hunters, he'd given her the chance to help. For that, she'd rewarded the young boy with a new. It might not have looked impressive at first glance, but what she pulled from her coin purse had been an onyx nel. She could only hope it had been helpful in some regard.

Now that she was looking into finding an informant he was what her mind went to. The young boy with wet, tousled hair and clammy skin, the young boy who had looked like a drowned rat and seemed never to dry. She wondered what kinds of things he knew about the city and how much he'd be willing to sell them to her for. If she was lucky and persistent maybe she could employ him.

The question then came down to finding him again. Nightshade wasn't good at finding information, let alone people. But she did know of a group who might just be willing to help her out given the right profits of the endeavor. The woman found an entrance to the underground, looking for any small child near it. A grimy young orphan was playing around trying to look like he was completely innocent of all things nefarious. Nightshade walked right up to the kid. "Hey, you any good at finding things?" She asked looking the child up and down.

The kid looked at her, seemingly sizing her up the same way he was sizing up her. "Depends on what you're looking for," he responded.

"No so much a thing as a person. I'm looking for a kid named Finn. Not sure about last names but he seemed like a drowned cat when I saw him, small and wet, roughly about 13, full of spirit," the woman returned as her fingers went to her pocket.

The orphan paused for a minute as though he was trying to think. If he was actually trying to think or waiting for her to flash some kind of money had yet to be decided. Apparently, it was the latter as the moment she pulled a shiny golden nel out of his pocket his eyes lit up and he started to sing like a canary. "I know exactly who you're talking about! Don't know 'im personally, but I do know most of the kids in the city. I could probably hunt 'im down for you and take you to him if you want. For a price of course," his voice took on an almost sing-song tone at the word 'price'.

Pulling 9 more golden nels out of her pocket she put the total 10 into his outstretched palm as his expression lit up like candles on Cylus. She didn't mind honestly, the kids did good work and she'd honestly take any one of them as an informant. But they were all fairly loyal to Finders Seekers, not to mention something about the kid from early in the season had really stuck out to her. Call it morbid curiosity but she wanted to meet him again and see just what kind of person he was. Hopefully this Finders Seekers boy would get her there in a timely manner...

"Common"

"Ith'ession"

[Finnegan O'Connor]

Finding Finn

Tops and Turvy, Etzos Underground, Ashan 63rd, arc 718

The lad was practically skipping ahead, still not quite believing that he’d been paid ten whole golden nels just to take the strange-lookin’ stranger to that weird, older kid. What had she called him again? Flint? It didn’t matter, he knew just who she meant. There weren’t that many children frequenting the underground, as those that were almost always worked for Karla Kingston who ran Finders Seekers. “There’s several place ‘e might be,” the boy said over his shoulder as they ventured deeper into the underground. “I’ve seen ‘im alot ‘round Tops and Turvy with a big man, all decked and everythingk’.”

It didn’t take them more than a few bits to make it to the underground tavern. Not that it was a registered establishment, it was more of an oversized cellar hidden behind a heavy door guarded by a broad-shouldered man with a fat scar running all the way from his collarbone down to his navel. Other than a quick, lustful grin in Nightshade’s direction, the bouncer didn’t say much and let the odd pair in. They were greeted by a thick, warm air, pregnant with smoke and the scent of booze.

On the inside, Tops and Turvy was cramped, it couldn’t fit more than ten small round tables at full capacity and presently, half of those had been set aside to make a space in the middle of the room while the other half was occupied by a rowdy crowd. A few boxes and some empty wine bottles delineated a makeshift arena in the center of the room. There weren’t any mattresses to break the fall of the youthful contestants in the arena, merely a thin layer of sand sprinkled over the hardwood floor to soak up the sweat, spit and blood that would inevitably flow. None in the betting crowd seemed remotely perturbed by this fact however, judging by their rambacious chatting and shouting, least of all the high-rollers leaning against the bar, smoking tobacco.

Tops and Turvy had long played host to “The Small Contest”. The business was welcome to Dickon who ran the tavern, for it had brought in many more customers, more even than The Big Contest, which featured adults in the ring.

Dickon had soon found that between the two, The Small Contest was the more profitable. The entry fee of placing bets was significantly lower, leaving the guests visiting his establishment with more nels to spend on booze and some of the female entertainment he provided. The gamemaster, Selyse Na’qish, a Biqaj woman with an appetite for brawling from the day she’d left her mother’s womb was just as happy with the arrangement, as she only paid a small percentage of her earnings to Dickon, that oaf, without having to clean up the mess afterward.

Finn stood in one corner of the make-believe arena, a stern frown etched into his brow and his rapid heartbeat plainly visible on his exposed chest. Bare feet scraped over the floor as he tried to gauge his odds against Grennen, the larger, broader boy in the corner opposite to him. Aye he was older and stronger-looking, but he was also fat, sluggish and bound to make mistakes. Besides, Finn wasn't half as much skin and bones as most seemed to assume. Half a childhood spend on the streets and countless little scuffs had endowed him with some strength in his arms and a good fighting brain on his head.

“Last chance to place your bets!” Selyse barked. Two more visitors shuffled over to the extraordinarily large Selyse who received their gold with a wide grin before scribbling their bets on her clipboard.

Finn’s eyes remained fixed on the boy opposite to him as Grennen prepared, his every movement followed by the creaking of the floorboards.

“You know the rules,” Selyse said.

Aye he knew the rules. Rules didn’t allow under-fifteens from participating. That’s what Selyse preached anyway, in practice she was plenty lenient and as the spat had broken out between him and Grennen, she’d seized her chance to make their violent disagreement into a one-time-only special edition of her usual games. She had to know he wasn’t fifteen yet, but she didn’t care, nor did he, he merely want to send Grennen home crying for his mommy.

“First one who’s out for ten trills or taps out loses. One round only!”

Finn clenched his fists at his side, steeling himself for what was to come. Grennen had a confident smirk plastered on his face as he approached with raised fists.

The lad who’d brought Nightshade sensed she might want to interrupt, but stopped her with an outstretched arm. “Not now,” he whispered. The gathered crowd wouldn’t take kindly to sudden interruptions, there was hard gold at stake after all. Even with her prowess, there wasn’t much Nightshade would be able to do anyway. There were too many people, there was too little room and she’d risk making far too many enemies if she kept them from having their fun.

Finn, still oblivious to Nightshade's presence, raised his own fists in defense as Grennen approached with thumping footsteps.

“Hit him!” someone in the crowd shouted. Grennen gave one last smirk before he swung back his arm to lash out and-

-hit nothing but air. Finn had ducked and in the same motion doled out a mean kick to Grennen’s shin. His victory didn’t last for long however as Grennen’s other leg shot up and struck him hard in the gut, knocking all air out of him. The crowd roared. The vast majority had put their money on Grennen and rejoiced at having made a quick buck.

But it wasn’t over yet. Thrown off-balance, but no less determined to reduce Grennen’s ugly mug to mush Finn retreated a few paces, buying himself some time to fill his lungs.

“You scared?” Grennen mocked, drawing a laugh from the crowd.

He didn’t reply. He’d come to beat the living shit out of fuck-face Grennen, not to please a crowd of betting drunks. “Come on Finny, I’ll make it quick.”

A blink later Grennen had closed the distance again and threw another punch, and again he missed. The following left hook tousled a few strands of Finn’s hair but ultimately did no damage. “Shame your sister isn’t here to help,” he teased, trying to lure Finn into attack.

Only stupid cunts fall for cheap tricks like that, Finn thought to himself as he tried to formulate a strategy, the best of which seemed to be to keep dodging and tire Grennen out until the right moment arrived to counter and throw the older boy off-balance. There was only one gruelling downside to that: Grennen would undoubtedly land some punches.

A third blow proved his point as it struck Finn’s jaw, making his head snap to the side with a painful crack. He recovered fast though, fast enough to avoid another knee to his stomach.

The game continued like this for several bits: Grennen on the offensive, missing more often than hitting and growing increasingly irritated that despite bleeding from his nose and lip, Finn was still standing, still circling around him. Between the two of them, Finn was the more bloodied, but Grennen dripped a different fluid altogether and his forehead glistened with sweat. The moment Grennen wiped his brow, Finn struck.

It wasn’t so much an attack as it was simply launching himself at the tired Grennen and throwing his arms around the older one’s neck.

“Oompf-!”

The floorboards protested as they hit the floor and Grennen was too shocked, too tired and too sluggish to do anything against the onslaught of fists that pummeled at his face. “Don’t talk crap about my sister again!”

Grennen squirmed, wriggled, tried to throw him off, but Finn was relentless. "Say you won't!"

"W- wha?"

Smack! A white-hot fist crashed into Grennen's puffy cheek.

"Say you won't!" Finn demanded again.

"Fuc-"

Crack! It was the nose this time, and it cracked real good. Grennen squealed like a pig. He could squirm all he wanted, try to protect his head all he wanted, Finn’s fists still found their mark, sending dust and spit flying into the air on each impact.

"Say you won't!"

"St-"

"Say it!"

"No-"

"Say it!"

Something crunched, and then the squealing stopped as Grennen’s head slumped to the side. Finn kept one fist raised above Grennen's head, threatening to strike again if the older boy showed any sign of consciousness.

“Ten...nine... eight!”

Gods he wanted to beat up Grennen some more, he had such a soft, punchable face after all.

“..five...four...three…”

Still nothing. Finn relaxed a little.

“...two...one…”

Then a roar from the crowd as Finn slowly stood up and wiped the blood from his nose with his fore-arm, leaving Grennen unconscious and motionless on the floor. A little smirk played at his lips, and it only widened as he spotted a familiar face near the door.

“Night!” He was beaming a little too much for someone who’d taken over a dozen hits to his chest, face, and stomach. Aside from a slight wobble in his step, he didn’t seem too disturbed however and left the impromptu arena without tripping over the boxes that marked its boundaries. “What are you doing here? You don’t strike me as the type to…” He gave a little shrug, then smiled again. “Well I hope you betted on me, earn your onyx nel back huh?”

The boy who’d guided Nightshade to Tops and Turvy made a face of utter disbelief at the mention of an onyx nel. Such things existed only in dreams! Nonetheless, he’d done as asked and gotten richly paid for it. It didn’t do to linger, especially not in this place and so the boy left with a little nod.

Finn snorted as he picked up his shirt, wiped the sweat off his brow with it, and slid it back on, a concerned frown coming to his face. “Do you know how Alistair is doing?”

A thick crowd had gathered around Selyse in the meantime, each voice shouting over the others, demanding their returns. It wouldn't last forever though, and when they'd all been rewarded their petty prices, Selyse had every intent of offering the young O'Connor a more permanent role in her games. There weren't many kids that knew how to throw a punch, much less take so many hits and walk away as though nothing had happened, especially not at that age. With a bit of grooming and guidance, there was a fortune to be made here.

[Nightshade Eld]

Nightshade had realized very quickly that stepping in would have been an entirely disastrous idea. She didn't need the kid to tell her that and she made no move to try and stop the combat, even if it made her stomach churn with worry and sickness. This was how you got mercenaries, bandits, and killers. But what could she honestly do? Some of these kids were likely fighting because it was their only source of income. Of course, there would be some fighting for fun, but it was bound to be a slim few, a great many were likely to be fighting for survival. There was nothing she could do without making the situation worse for every party involved so instead she chose to do nothing. If she couldn't make a situation better then she'd learned a while ago to just not touch it. That was a lesson that had been cemented last season through various messes. It had taken a little work but the half-breed was learning her lesson about self-control. If it couldn't be made better then it could only be made worse.

So instead of jumping in to try and stop this, she watched. Or more importantly, she watched Finn. His movement, his character, what she could possibly take and hone, what parts of his nature he could stand to lose. Finn was obviously much smaller than his opponent, but he did a damn good job jumping out of the way as he skirted the arena, trying his best to dodge every hit. Of course, his plan didn't work out flawlessly as expected of a young kid lacking professional practice. Getting even quicker on his feet, wasn't that something she could potentially teach him? He was trying to wear out his enemy, that was obvious enough to the half-breed even though most the rest of the crowd seemed to be completely oblivious to that little tidbit. In fact, if he was able to keep it up long enough he was likely to win. The crowd couldn't see that, but the half-breed had been in enough fights to know the more stamina you have and the less you spend the better. The crowd was still rooting for the larger child, but she knew as long as no mistakes were made Finn was assured a victory.

As expected the larger kid was panting not too long after Finn started using his strategy, he seemed to be winded as he made a small mistake. The moment his hand touched his brow it was over for him, the savagery of the much smaller boy falling on him like a feral animal. The half-breed couldn't help but look away, not wanting to see the state of the other child. She wasn't sure how well this would go, but perhaps if she had enough time with the child, she could work to teach him the meaning of mercy. It was important for anyone who was going to end up a fighter through their life. Kindness was the mark of truest strength.

When it was finally over Finn seemed to notice her, excitement all over his beaten face. "Hello little pup," she greeted. She did what she could to take a good look at her injuries. In a general assessment of his state of being it didn't look like anything was broken forever, which was good. "Such a little ball of vigor you are, all beat up and you're still full of vinegar. I don't suppose you'll be heading to a doctor?" She teased. Her tone wasn't as teasing as the words themselves. It was warm and affectionate, and she leaned down slightly to swipe a small stain of blood off his cheek.

She frowned a slight amount when he mentioned her not seem the type. It was a true enough statement, she wasn't. "I'm typically not. The only reason I actually came here was to see you," she admitted forcing her expression back into a smile. There was something melancholic in her eyes as she looked him over. "It took me a little to find you as well," she said with a small laugh as she motioned towards the Finders Seekers boy at her side who was quickly disappearing with his pocket full of nels. Her hopes were that he spent it on good food and nice clothes, the poor thing deserved it. She knew well enough she'd far overpaid the kid, but she really just couldn't find it in her heart to mind. Honestly, she just hoped the best for the children who didn't have families to care about them. She'd suffered with one parent who loved her dearly, she could only imagine what others had to go through. Not to mention, kids remembered this type of thing, not one individual but the group remembered in stories. If she had to rationalize it, not for her own peace of mind but for that of others, then in one way she was making an investment. She'd won favor with the guard, as well as the outer city poor, maybe her next step would be the orphans.

The next question pertained to Alistair, and her mind went back to the man that she'd helped. "He's doing better now, I'm not sure how much I can keep helping, but I'm going to try and keep in touch with him as best I can. He's a good man and I worry about his mental state, though he does seem much better now. At least we can be certain he isn't going to try and... yeah. I'm still going to try and see if I can scrounge up any details on his husband, but so far I've been coming up empty," the half-breed sighed. She felt obligated to do whatever she could for the poor broken man now that his entire world seemed to be shattering and crumbling. "But, like I said, I think he's going to be okay," the woman said with a small nod.

When she felt the stare of Selyse she could instantly feel something protective boiling in the pit of her stomach. She had no direct spite towards the woman. She was sure that Selyse had her story and her shames on top of her own pains within the journey. But she'd more or less taken a fondness for the kid and she was going to try her damnedest to protect him. "Finn," she said getting to his height as best she could so she could look him in the eyes. Her wings wrapped around him ever so slightly in a protective manner. "I actually came her wondering if you wanted, if you needed, a job."

"Common"

"Ith'ession"

[Finnegan O'Connor]

Finding Finn

63rd Ashan 718

Finn wrinkled his nose at the nickname Nightshade had chosen for him. Fortunately the only person who’d bother to tease him about it was only just returning to consciousness and no one else seemed to hear. He cast an idle glance over his shoulder at Grennen, the older boy seemed dazed and more than a little queasy, but still very much alive. One of Selyse’s gruff henchmen was minding him and Finn refocused his attention on Nightshade Eld.

The half-breed was right in her assumption that he had no intention of visiting a doctor. There was the slightest limp in his step and he recoiled a little at Nightshade’s light brush across his cheek, but he didn’t complain, not while adrenaline still pumped through his veins. Still, the bruises he’d suffered were well within the healing capacity of simple ointments and he answered her with a small shrug.

“I'm fine,” he said. “Besides, doctors ask questions.”

Well, the civilized ones did; the ones with an actual education in medicine, not the unscrupulous sort that roamed the underground.

“You came to see me?” Despite having spent a good deal of time in Foster’s Landing, Finn knew that Nightshade’s renown throughout the city had been on the rise. To consider that someone of her stature had come all the way down here for him was flattering and baffling all at once. He looked flushed but whether that was from the fight or from the honor of Nightshade’s visit to him remained a mystery.

A curt nod was the only acknowledgement he gave regarding Alistair’s situation. He hoped the Venoran noble was doing well, that perhaps some trace of Fridgar or his lost child would come up soon but it didn’t seem likely, not even with Nightshade’s kind help.
What she said next surprised him, and Finn could almost hear Selyse’s panic as Nightshade offered him a job. The monstrously large Biqaj jumped off her seat, shouldered her way through some loudly protesting guests and came up to Finn’s side, swinging a casual arm around his neck.

“You did brilliantly!” she cooed, all smiles. There was a flicker of movement in her hand before she wisely decided that Finn had passed that threshold where ruffling hair was appreciated. “Now, your reward…” She nudged him to hold out his hands, fished couple of golden nels from her purse and piled them on top of each other with deliberate exaggeration. In this suffocating craphole of a city, twenty-five nels was surely considered a small fortune, she thought to herself. Heck, twenty would likely have been more than enough to buy his loyalty, but she’d heard the half-breed’s job offer and wasn’t too keen on losing her way out of debt to some Avriel scum. “Actually, Finn,” Selyse continued, “I was counting on it that you’d come back her in three trials. There’s a little competition then and you could make at least as much as you did today!” She barely even acknowledged Nightshade’s existence.

“I don’t know if-”

“You’ll do great!” she smiled.

Indeed. He’d do great for her. He wasn’t well-known yet among the betting crowd which meant she could put him up against some others, like Grennen, and the crowd would repeat their mistake of betting on the larger person. With a little luck she’d make enough to leave this stinking city before the season’s end, unless of course that Avriel woman snatched the heaven-sent lucky charm away from her. Selyse gave Nightshade a strange look before she dropped her arm off Finn’s back and returned to her customers, but not before whispering something inaudible in Finn’s ear, to which he smiled.

As soon as Selyse departed again, Finn trained his eyes on Nightshade and offered an apologetic smile before pocketing Selyse’s gold. “It’s damn hot in here,” he said with a puff of his cheeks. “Can we go outside? I’d like some fresh air, and something to eat. I’m starving...” Finn felt Selyse’s gaze burn into his back on the way out, but choose to ignore it. “What kind of work did you have in mind?” he asked as he held the door to the underground establishment open for Nightshade.

[Nightshade Eld]

The half-breed was taken a little off guard by the random appearance of Selyse, but the woman did wonders at keeping a composure many others would have lost the moment some large, strange woman started muscling her way into a conversation. The large woman didn't even glance at the half-breed. This was... familiar. In a way, it was almost comfortable. There were no eyes on her, she didn't exist. No, no expectations glittering in young eyes, no hatred flaring in racist eyes, no fear glaringly bright in the eyes of those who didn't know or understand what she was. Yeah, there were no eyes on her, and this was completely comfortable. If anything it was relaxing that Selyse paid her no mind. It meant there wouldn't be a fight, it meant that she wouldn't have to battle the Biqaj for Finn's attention. She could just quietly wait her turn with the same passive, non-aggressive expression that she wore so often. Her expression and limbs were relaxed as she breathed in as little of the smoke-laden air as possible. Immortals, she wanted out of this place soon.

If anything, the half-breed almost started to feel sympathy as the large woman started pushing her offer at Finn. What was her story? What road had led her to this conclusion, this junction, this tipping point that she seemed to treat like life and death? Was it something that had happened in this city or was a distant past still pulling on her chains? Did it have something to do with the government or one of the shadowy organizations like the Fence or the Cauldron? The half-breed couldn't help but be curious and start wondering. What could, or more so would, she have done differently in the situation of this Biqaj? Was there any way to get a happy ending or had she done something to throw it away. The thoughts left her with a very hollow feeling in the center of her chest. She couldn't help everyone. But she could start with the children of the city and she could hope that they would start to pick up on how to help others. Sometimes it didn't even take much money or time. There was a level of support that everyone could offer, all of which different and valuable. If she did nothing else good with her life she hoped that lesson was the one that stuck around.

The half-breed frowned when she walked away, leaving her with the strange look, and her heart twisted. What broke her? What stole away her bright future? This poor woman, her only resort left in life being convincing children to beat the ever-loving tar out of each other. Why? "Yeah," she said slowly as she continued to watch the woman for a moment longer before turning back to Finn. Her eyes were slightly foggy now and it almost seemed like she'd forgotten where she was as she tried to jolt herself back into the present. "I know a good place we can go to. I tried it last season and it had to be one of the best places I've eaten since I got to this city," she said. It was a small little cafe like place that also did dinners. It was small and a pretty hole in the wall, but the half-breed wasn't lying call it one of the best places she'd been to.

She stepped through the door as Finn held it for her with a small nod of appreciation and then started to lead once Finn had left the establishment himself. "I'm opening up a shop this next season where citizens can come to get training in combat or put jobs up if they need help with a situation they can't handle. I've been talking with the Black Guard about it and I've got the go ahead with certain stipulations. The problem is this is all going to be useless if I can't start handling the real problems. Of course, those problems typically have a cover on them," she said. "You seem like you've got a good idea of what's going on in the city since you brought Alistair to me. Better than I've got at the very least! I was about to look into finding someone that could trudge up information for me when you plopped the man into my lap and disappeared. Since I'm starting to higher and I really do need someone to help me rake the mud my mind went instantly to you," she explained.

"We can talk more over dinner about the specifics of the job and what the pay is going to look like. For right now though, I'm a little curious. What's up with that Selyse woman. She was acting like she was going to die if she lost you," the half-breed asked wondering if Finn knew any more about it than Night did, or if it was just speculation. In a way, this was the perfect way to gauge Finn's skill.

"Common"

"Ith'ession"

[Finnegan O'Connor]

Finding Finn

63rd Ashan 718

Judging by her long, confident strides, Nightshade seemed particularly eager to get out of the underground. He agreed. Her question lingered in the air for a moment as they slushed through the dark, grimy sewer-like maze and when Finn answered it was in a quick and low voice. "Later," he breathed before sending an anxious glare over his shoulder.

A broad, slippery stairway led out of Etzos' underbelly and Finn had to squint against the harsh sunlight beating down on them. Many citizens flocked to the unground or lingered at the entrances anyway, seeking shelter from the heat, and though Finn had cooled a little on their way out, his skin still glowed from the fight. She was probably right in thinking him better attuned to the ongoings in the shady parts of town for she'd already made a minor mistake by speaking so openly of her goals whilst they'd made their way out of the dark. They could speak more safely now that their voices were masked by the general bustle of citizens milling about, minding their own business.

"Everyone knows Selyse's got problems. Got here a few seasons ago. Her ship had been raided by pirates, I heard. Tried to get it repaired but didn't have the coin, thought she could gamble her way back onto the seas." They pushed across a square littered with merchant stands while a flock of birds swooped down to peck at the crumbs left by careless customers. A few heads turned as they passed. Some seemed to recognize the Avriel, though not everyone seemed pleased to see her out in the open. "She owes people money," Finn continued with a shrug, "this is how she's been earning what she owes back."

Eventually there was no more skirting around her other question, the one that weighed down on his mind. The truth was, he didn't need a job as he already worked for Mr. Tagley and he was already so steeped in plots and conspiracies between the many factions that roamed Etzos that he doubted he could spin Nightshade into this web. Yet this was precisely what he was supposed to be doing: carefully aligning himself with various groups, never quite joining one or the other, but keeping tabs on their activities and reporting his findings back to Mr. Tagley. If Nightshade was to be believed she had the city's support and it would stand to reason that Mr. Tagley was already aware of her activities. He shot a careful glance at the Avriel, trying to assess the veracity of what she'd told him. Noth had instilled a lingering distrust for Avriels in him and even though he'd taken a quick liking to Nightshade he couldn't help but think there was more to her shop than she had told him so far.

"I can see what I can do but-" I have to talk to Tagley about it first, he finished in his head. "-I have to think about it." They arrived at the cafe and were welcomed by a jumpy waiter who insisted they seated themselves in the small garden behind the cafe, out of sight of any passersby walking down the streets. Finn was glad they were given a quiet place to sit even if the waiter's motives for putting them there was likely due to an inherit distrust for Nightshade. After they'd ordered, Finn leaned in over the table, checked they were alone, and then spoke in a low, raspy voice.

"I don't know what you expect, but I don't need the money. Still," his eyes dropped as though he was embarassed to ask this favour from her. "If you do take me on, I'd like ta learn more about, you know, fightin' an' stuff."

[Nightshade Eld]

The half-breed nodded as Finn spoke. His reaction alone spoke volumes about the situation. When they got out of the underground Finn began to explain the situation, but it only made the half-breed more curious. "Do you know what kind of people the ones holding onto her debt are? How much that debt is?" The curiosity in her voice wasn't just simple curiosity, that was obvious enough. Finn had an important decision to make at that moment. It went without question given her reputation the woman was bound to get involved given the chance. But, if Finn didn't tell her she could easily enough get herself into an even worse situation trying to pry and figure things out. Of course, there were simply the limitations of his own knowledge on the subject, but he was left in a position where he had to pick the lesser of two evils, whether he realized it or not.

When they got to the place the half-breed had mentioned early she motioned for Finn to sit. Reaching behind her shoulder she tugged on a string loosely bound around the base of her wing and pulled something out of the back of her shirt. The string itself was hidden by feathers and hair, and even if it hadn't been it would be one hell of a feat for a thief to steal something she could feel brush against her bare skin. The little pouch that she brought out was easily recognizable as a coin purse. She was completely oblivious to Finn's internal musings as she allowed him to order first. It seemed as though she had the intention of paying, but the newly paid Finn, sure enough, had room to argue. When it came to shop, the half-breed had no bad intentions. It really bad exactly as she said it was, a shop dedicated to helping people. She wasn't entirely sure as to how much Tagley knew about it. She'd gone through the guard to set it up, but she'd gone directly to the Captain himself and set it up entirely there. If it managed to get down to Tagley, she wasn't completely aware of the details.

"Of course, take as much time as you need," she said warmly with a small nod to the young child. She truly meant those words as she didn't want to force him into anything. "If you can't do it that's fine enough. It was just a thought on my part, I was curious so to say. And it would have been extremely helpful to have someone who could keep an eye out for the jobs that really need to be done. The ones that get buried under the highering paying less dangerous issues," she sighed a little bit at that comment and shook her head as though thinking about a mountain of things that needed to be done. Honestly, those were the jobs that caused the most issues. The ones that didn't pay well but needed to be done so desperately. She tried to take them whenever possible but the people giving them out often got silenced for the low return rate before Night actually managed to find them.

She blinked at the money comment, almost detecting something accusatory in his tone. Her eyes flashed with hurt for a moment, having dropped her guard enough for the comment to sting. Usually, she could take the racism around her. But having such a biting comment come from Finn seemed to have an effect on her, her expression truly taking on a wounded look. Did he think so poorly of her? "Of course, I'd be able to teach her. And there'd be others as well who were good at various different kinds of weapons. Anything you could want to learn hopefully." She tried to smile and return to being chipper but her voice cracked slightly and she was forced to clear her throat. She really had dropped her guard around the kid, thinking better of him. The comment had obviously hit her hard and there was something now almost sulky about her aura. Like a child who'd been accused of something a younger siblings might have done.

"Common"

"Ith'ession"