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Lilaan halted as she passed through the doors, more than a little surprised by the difference between the building’s quaint exterior, and its lavish interior. Plush couches, soft rugs, and beyond the comfortable amenities there was still the piano, the fireplace, and the lovely tapestries hanging on the walls. Even the masonry was artful, with wood and stone worked into an artful aetheric material. 

It seemed the bounty house had been wearing a mask of its own. 

She tried not to gawk—best not to look like a vagabond, especially if it was true. People like the hedgeman might be able to waltz into a high-end place like this looking like they’d just crawled out of the dirt—which was also true—but Lilaan had a losing complexion that wouldn’t afford her such leniency. Kyreth did too, unfortunately, and he stuck out more than most. A very cold part of her thought it best to create distance, but she stamped that down. He’d been kinder to her than most people, even other Tainted. As it stood, their goal was the same, and she meant to seem them both achieve it. 

Of course, there was no rush. Skirting near the clerk’s desk, she overheard the hedgeman give some of his details. His name was Ceolfric, and while she was already well aware of his feelings towards violence, and his past as a brigand was all but tattooed on his forehead, she was still surprised to hear that he was from Dranir. Lilaan was no stranger to brigands and bandits, she’d been robbed many times in her travels between towns and on the backs of trade caravans. Plenty of the heroes whose tales she wove were born from fights with roving warbands and bloodthirsty cultists—which was, funnily enough, where plenty of them also died. 

A brigand and an aetherborn. By his description she might not have believed it, were his tongue not proof. She tried to recall if she’d ever encountered anyone like that, but most of the scuffles she’d seen were matters of clashing swords, not wicked enchantment. Then again, with a talent like his, it might have been difficult to tell. Perhaps she ought to have been concerned that he was angling for the same work that she was. Instead, she found herself woefully intrigued. But that was a matter for later. 

For now, she returned to Kyreth. 

[color=skyblue]“Well, what do you think? Charming, isn’t it? There are certainly worse places to find work. Pity about the company,”[/color] she said, nodding over to Ceolfric. [color=skyblue]“But I believe this might be the safest we’ve been all day.”[/color][hr][sub][@Obscene Symphony][/sub]