The man was a quick thinker, Dawn couldn’t deny that. His explanations for his “brother’s” lies were reasonable enough, and he seemed genuinely protective over the child, for all it was worth. The flattery was a nice touch, although Dawn had run into her fair share of men and women alike who had tried to butter their way out of a pitch that the effect was lost on her. She smiled regardless, eyes glittering like stones in her hat’s shadow. 

“It’s a habit that he’ll likely need help breaking out of, then. I’ve found that the more someone lies, the better they get at it. He might end up digging himself into a hole he won’t be able to get out of so easily one day.” She let the man take the young pickpocket without comment, but made no move to leave. Dawn had no intention of returning to her table until the urchin was relieved of his stolen goods. 

“Well, your client is certainly a kind man. And I’m sorry for your loss.”

A pause. 

“Take care of him. It’s a hard life for children down here.” 

Even if the man wasn’t the boy’s brother, it would be good for the little one to get something to eat, at the very least. While the stranger’s lies were well thought out for how swiftly he had come up with them, the child’s skinniness was particularly noticeable in the face of his study build, among other things. However, at the sound of a sudden crash, Dawn found herself turning away from the man- right towards the table he had been gesturing at, where a woman now lay, smiling dreamily at the ceiling as if she wasn’t currently surrounded by shattered dinnerware.

Spiced wine gurgled onto the floor. 

Whatever “fresh, warm meal” had been awaiting them, it had quite unfortunately been cut short. 

The red-headed woman’s sudden appearance wasn’t overly surprising. When one had spent their life in the Neath, seeing random passerby pop in and out of honey dreams was as commonplace as the passerby themselves. However, most dreamers didn’t reappear on anything that wasn’t a flat surface- and certainly not in a manner to make such a loud clamor. It was bizarre, to say the least, and it left a large possibility of the woman being injured without even realizing yet. Giving a glance towards man and child alike to indicate that they weren’t in the clear, Dawn made her way over to the table, giving an apologetic look to its current occupant before turning her attention to the lady sitting among the wreckage.

“Are you alright, madam?” She asked. “That was quite the entrance you had, there.” 

[@VitoftheVoid][@Magister][@Joker892][@Rig]

[hr]

“I’ll admit to hearing it in passing, yes,” Madison replied. Some of the cheer had gone out of him now, replaced by a certain sobriety that didn’t seem to quite fit the man. The woman was holding all her cards close to her chest, but whatever what was on them, there was little chance of it being anything good. Even her name seemed to be a topic that she had no desire to breach- or, even more concerning, something that she possibly [i]couldn’t[/i]. Regardless, Madison found himself straining to read the woman’s expression behind those irrigo shades, even as he felt the faintest hazing of his memory as he gazed into them.  

“I’m sure that having a stranger try and offer you assistance out of the blue must be incredibly suspicious, miss, so I don’t blame you for not wanting to take it. Especially what with the Oblivion you have there.” Madison gestured absently at the bottle, then rested his hands in their former position onto the table. “And whatever it is that you’re trying to find out North, I do hope that you find it.” He tapped his nails on the table beneath, drumming out an irregular rhythm.

“However, would it be alright if I bought you something to eat, before you leave? Coffee, maybe? I’d feel terrible letting you leave without doing anything to help you out, although I suppose that’s a bit selfish of me.” Madison gave the woman a sheepish smile, before casting a glance over his shoulder at the sharp clattering behind him. 

A woman. Honey-dreamer, if the sudden appearance was any indication. Although most didn’t appear so violently.

“Odd,” he murmured. 

[@VitoftheVoid]