Pay the Pipers [Lyra]

[Mino]

“Ten silver if you can guess what kind.”

His grin remained, even as the scent around the woman changed. There must have been some sort of magic involved. He could scratch through the dredges of his magical knowledge later on; right now, his priority was the situation at hand. It would do him no good if he let the woman walk away with nothing gained from the interaction. Specifically, what she wanted from them.

His nose scrunched up at the waft of cheap alcohol hitting his nose fully. “I think I prefer how you smelled before.” Mino’s eyes narrowed, fingers unfurling from under her chin. He traced the line of her jaw, let his nails drag slow over the skin. As she studied, so did he in return. Though, not so much for the purpose of exploitation of any hidden weakness in her expression, but more committing her face to memory. The small details could well be a product of magic themselves. He wasn’t sure how skilled she was. “But I can tolerate this for now.”

It was only the pang of something not right, an unease, that forced wandering hands to change direction. The careful shift of hair from her face with the tips of his nails as his smile fluttered out a touch more. This act she wanted to continue; he could do that. He nodded, hummed. Lady Honey would likely take her sweet time before returning or sending Canary to fetch him.

His brows rose as his gaze drifted down to her hands on his shirt. “This is expensive.” His tone was petulant, lips pushing out in a pout. He tapped at her fingers, glanced back up at her. “This magic of yours isn’t going to leave a stain, right? I doubt Lady Honey would be pleased to come home with me dirty like this.” He flashed the woman another smile.

“Could I at least get a name before I divulge family secrets? I could tell you mine, but I feel like you already know part of it.”

[Lyra]

"You're cute." Naila smiled as she let the hand wander, her eyes never leaving his as her smile widened when he shifted his pawing to safer ground. He had dodged the question, Naila knew, but somehow she doubted he would reveal what she wanted so easily.

"Helena." All traces of drunkenness was gone from her tone as she shifted her body to rest her back against the bench. One hand though still trailed against Mino's chest, twining into the collar of his shirt with a loose, but firm grip, "And don't worry, I always clean up after myself."

Lyra watched curiously, examining not just the rathari but her companion as well. Despite having shared a vessel for 2 seasons the old elf knew very little about the woman, or her methods. The tilt of her head, the angle of her body that caused her knees to brush against the boy, a slightly playful turn of the lips that was carefully hidden from the sightline of her real target. Naila slipped into new roles as easily as a woman slipped into her next dress.

"I think I like you," Naila said with an honest tone, but her grip on his clothing didn't loosen, "You're a natural actor. I see why they brought you along... So be honest with me. I hear rumors that your mistress is collecting children... What for? What happens to them?"

After a short pause she added, "I don't want to scar that pretty face."

[Mino]

“Helena.” He echoed the name as if tasting it, letting it roll over his tongue as he tipped his head to the side. “You don’t seem like a Helena to me. Perhaps it would be better if I called you Hel.”

This was merely delaying the inevitable. Mino had been taught that secrecy was paramount, but his life was far further up on the list of things he held dear. On most occasions. Having the humiliation of knowing he’d thrown it away for a few measly words — words that could be taken in any direction this Helena wanted — was not something he would ever wish for. But her grip —

He sucked in a breath, glanced down at her hand fisting his collar. “You know, there are worse things than scarred faces. Personally, I think I could pull it off. Part of my natural charm.” The pleasantness of his voice didn’t match the situation, but just as she put on airs of honesty — so too could he. Though, his might have been much more genuine.

“The other part is that I am a notorious flirt when the mood strikes, and I think it did when a certain not-drunk drunken woman approached me.” He had no doubts that Helena would hurt him in some manner if she didn’t like what he said. But the thing about the truth is that it wasn’t often presented in the way others wanted. It was a multi-faceted thing that he manipulated far too often to fear that this wouldn’t somehow work out in his favor. But he ought not waste time; Lady Honey and Canary would be back soon enough.

“You’re asking a question I think you suspect you know the answer to.” Just the slightest hint of disappointment settled in his tone. But as he continued, a purr underlaid his words. “What else do a bunch of children-less widows do with young orphans, Hel? They raise them as their own and make them perfect little members of society.”

There was, in a way, truth to this. Lady Blue had taken him in. It was just a matter of him having never been an orphan to begin with.

“And those with parents are merely...being sponsored. Bettering their lives, really. Ain’t it sweet; giving back to the community?”

[Lyra]

Naila searched the man's eyes as he spoke, one hand idly tracing along his shoulder while she held firmly still to his collar. The problem with liars was that they were often well-practiced, a fact Naila herself knew all too well. Lyra though listened and followed the surface thoughts as the words were spoken.

He is either exceptionally skilled, or he believes what he says is true. That of course did not mean that what he said was fact, for if it contained even a hint of truth Lyra knew that she would find it difficult to tell. Still... His melodies were steady and constant, unnaturally calm, or so it seemed to Lyra.

"Sickeningly so." Naila said in response to the last statement, and then she smiled. Her eyes scanned up and down Mino's frame, "If you are half as good at lying as you are at flirting, then I worry you might deceive me..." her free hand ran a nail along Mino's cheek, "But for now it is fine."

Over his shoulder, Naila saw the two women begin making their way back, though Lyra's influence kept their pace winding as they made a roundabout path toward them. She didn't have time for more questions, but more importantly, she had found them and confirmed there was some connection.

Can you mark him? the mercenary asked, and in answer Lyra merely smiled.

The change was instant, eyes flashing to gold as Lyra assumed control. With a broad smile, she pulled Mino in by the collar, her other hand hooking behind his neck and forcing his lips to meet hers. Through the symphonies Lyra wove in a sensation of pleasure, easing away doubt and silencing every hint of protest. It had been many, many years, but Lyrielle still remembered the ways. Fingers entwined in hair as she deepened the kiss past lips. A breath escaped, and as it did a tendril of black smoke flowed between them. Whispers grew as, with one final press the kiss was broken. Goldeyes stared with amusement as black smoke filtered in from the crowd and surrounded them, cutting off light and leaving them in misty darkness.

Pulling away Lyra waved to the boy before blowing a kiss, and a word of farewell.

"Till we meet again, little kitten." and with that, she turned and slipped into the crowd. Naila once more took over, and over a series of seconds flashed between multiple illusions until they were out of sight completely.

[Mino]

“I’m good at flirting?” His brows rose. There was feigned surprise — much mor exaggerated than it out to be. A testimony to the contrary of him being a good liar despite, well, that he did think he was a bit better than some at lying. Mainly because he hadn’t told her a lie. Just well-worded truths that could be taken however the other wanted based on assumptions. color=white]“I don’t suppose this flirting of mine will get me anywhere, then?”

There was a shift in the woman. His brows twitched as she smiled, his own smile remaining in place. The grip on his collar tightened, pulling him forward until their lips met. True surprise — further raise of his brows and a stiffening of his frame that soon melted into relaxation — hit him. Even without her mesmering him, he would have given into the trap of the embrace. Not so much out of it truly working, but a curiosity to know. To know what the purpose of the kiss was, for one. Still, an enjoyable moment that was soon drawn to a close.

It was her parting words that left him cold. Perhaps not the intention, but it drew on memories he would rather hope to avoid. Letting out a breath, he glanced over his shoulder to see if the ladies were on their way back. The corgis skittered ahead of their mistress.

Between the two women stood a small child, fingers wrapped around a treat they’d surely bought her. Lady Honey’s hand rested on her hair, petting the girl as she ate. So their venture had been successful. But there is a tightness to the Lady’s smile that didn’t bode well. Perhaps some sort of obstacle or a slight blockade. Regardless, she turned a hard gaze onto him and his slightly less put together state as he ran a hand through his hair. A pat on his own head to get him standing, and they were on their way.