Being a bard wasn't as easy as many seemed to think. It was probably the most common heckle Axley was used to receiving from particularly drunken listeners when she played in taverns come day's end. She'd been offended when she first started her unwieldy career, but nowadays she simply scoffed and rolled her eyes. Not everyone could play a tune, let along a [i]good[/i] one. She knew that now...though when she had first started hearing the coarse, brutish nature of the common working man had been quite the bit of culture shock. It had taken time to grow accustomed to the nature of society, though once she had she had learned she didn't much like taking shit from others; her personality grew confident and a bit standoffish as a result, though her heart still beat pure and would not rest to see another's suffering.

Today, she wasn't to be alone-she'd often played at Snow Sparrow's church in the evenings, the only payment she truly required being a sampling of some of the dinner he'd provide to the homeless that night. For a soup kitchen of sorts, the meal was really quite excellent; it was what had first drawn Axley to the place when she had first arrived in the Ruins, barely a yen to her name. Her first night had been at the church, in fact; it was out of the kindness of its head that she had managed to get back on her feet in the first place. She could say she owed him one, and repaid his kindness whenever she could by making an appearance to grace the church and its following with a bit of music to enhance their evening. It didn't pay well, but sometimes money wasn't the most important thing in the world. If only her father had learned that lesson.

Axley rose early as always; in order to snag the crowd at lunchtime, she had to prepare early. She wished to start earlier than usual as well; she knew Sparrow was bringing a sanxian, but apparently his skill was not quite as refined as hers. She intended to help him along just a little, and figure out a few numbers that they could play together. A minstrel band could draw more than a single bard...but only if all the players were in harmony. The slightest bit of makeup to ensure her features were fair, and a fresh set of her bard's clothes, and she was prepared for the day. The walk to the center of town was a fairly long one, but rewarding; it helped keep her body in shape and gave her plenty of time to let her thoughts wander. She pulled into their planned meeting spot a little bit early to find no Snow Sparrow in sight. She supposed she had gotten there early, and she knew he had a morning routine, so she couldn't fault the man [i]too[/i] much. She played on her own for a little bit, collecting the few coins tossed her way with a bright smile and a thanks, before starting to wonder just where he was. Had he forgotten? Had he gotten the time wrong?

Once an hour had passed, Axley grew a mite concerned. She abandoned her usual spot, taking off down the court at a brisk pace in the direction of Snow Sparrow's church. He'd probably gotten distracted with others or simply gotten the meeting time wrong; either way, they were burning daylight to work together. Her legs carried her away from the bustle of the crowd, out towards the outskirts where she knew his church was located. Seemed to be a fairly busy spot today; even just from a distance, she could see a few children playing outside. Seemed he'd been busy after all. That was fine, but he'd made a commitment and she intended to see it through, one way or another. She walked up to the entrance to find Snow Sparrow engaged with another man she didn't pay much attention to at first. "Oi, Sparrow." A mildly irritated, nearly lyrical voice would greet the ears of those at the door as Axley approached. "You didn't forget our gig was today, did you?" It was only then she noticed the man Sparrow was speaking to. This was not one of his flock; no, she recognized those clothes from her time with Father. This was a barrister, possibly a lawyer. For one to be here...it likely wasn't good news. "This guy bothering you?" Axley wasn't a fighter, but it wouldn't stop her from defending those she cared about, and the ceremonial sword on her back gleamed in the midday light.