“Hmm? Do you usually not eat this at home?” Reon asked, he was treating his angel —birb— to a simple meal.

Usually, when a stranger prompts you to eat a meal with them, you usually don’t follow. A key rule of stranger danger that all in the kingdom are taught about. I can’t say much about Reon, but Lily should be no different with lawman Jeffrey around. Or at the very least, she was informed. She was informed. Just informed, not that she actually heeded it. Testament to how easily she gets kidnapped, huh? Though, this Narrator will concur that she was the one that initiated such a dealing. Not that it makes it any better to dine with strangers.

“Ah, yeah, we don’t have much, so we usually just eat bread.”

Courtesy of Jeffrey’s bread addiction and strange concept of bread sandwiches, that is, a slice of bread between two slices of bread. Oh and don’t forget his bias that birds can only eat bread. That played a big role in Lily’s unhealthy diet.

Poor birb… It’s good that she usually snuck out for snack runs, which were substantially more tortuous when she wasn’t a small lil’ birb that the old neighbourhood granny would throw seeds at.

He watched the small angel eat. Her cloak was musty and she seemed dishevelled, the tips of her feathers were polluted with a black colouration.

A poor loli, he thought innocuously… Actually, let’s change that, he was laying the pity on her.

Though it was as he was about to shake his head and turn away did his eyes meet hers.

She didn’t speak, but her eyes said it all. She was alone, with none to stand beside her. This man of just intent couldn’t possibly leave her to her own devices.

“Would you like seconds?”

“Yeah!” Her eyes lit up, as if it were the second meal she had in weeks. Which wasn’t right, but might as well as be true.

Lily the little crow wouldn’t act so familiar, but what can I say, first impressions make all the difference.

Can confirm, after making an impression upon an individual, it will be nigh impossible to change it lest one were to be persistent enough to engage in frequent association without being a nuisance. Though in some rare circumstances, impressions can be changed at an instant regarding to special actions which may peak the one perceiving the perceived favorably. On the other hand, this extended accompaniment can deteriorate a once favorable impression, leaving bitterness and discontent.

In which case an impression may be changed, but for the most part they will remain unchanged.

Nonetheless, the two gave each other favorable impressions. Ones that could withstand the test of time, even through hail and wind —maybe but let's be serious here, it probably won't—.

Reon dreamed of becoming a productive member of society, worthy of respect, whilst she wished to be free of all liabilities. Two differing pursuits, but each commendable nonetheless. Though the second one, less so…

“Soo, is everything good at home?” Curiosity bit the naive boy. Touching an extremely touchy subject.

“Uhhmmm, yeah. It’s a bit hard sometimes but I get by,”

“Just yourself? Are you’re parents okay?” Again, the boy touches something even touchier than the last.

Lily’s eyes droop putting to full display her theatrical talent, “I… don’t have any,”

“Ah I didn’t hear you can you say that again?”

She takes a deep breath, “I don’t have parents,”

Her downward angled stare and slumped shoulders would garner pity points from even the most heartless of usurers, but despite the theatrics at play, her genuine feeling was what made this expression so vivid and stirring. Needless to say, it wasn't the usual shuck and jive.

Though Lily was a night crow, she wasn’t raised by birds. Taken in by Jimmy, a name no one remembers, she was raised contemporarily with Jeffrey.

A bit of a strange family I admit, but moving on.

Just as Jeffrey feels his heart wrench at the name, Lily is the same. Actually, it might even be worse on the bird considering she has something called social empathy.

A condition that serial killers have an abject lack of. Ahem.

“Ah, my—my apologies, it must’ve been tough?” Reon, instead of driving the topic away, left it to stew in a deeper awkwardness. He was really fermenting this awkward scene as if he were aging wine. Props to him.

Lily nodded. Which was somewhat true, but it could’ve been worse.

“Hey, but who cares about that?” She beamed, bouncing back to her spritely jive, “It’s all long gone, so let’s go! You live in the Capital, yeah? Show me around!”

This request was threaded on the requisite that Reon was local, but he wasn’t. And he told her this in the most direct and dumbest way possible.

“Ehh, not really… I was only summoned here a month ago…”

Mm, the bird’s eyes narrowed at the signposting of a very pivotal word. Things were getting interesting. If Jeffrey were here he’d be sure to stir some shite up.

Oh and speak of devil!

“Lily,” A sharp hiss pierced the air. The market square was clear as of now, and it was easy to find the source.

Garbed in an all too familiar outfit, a dark man glared at the two. He walked with a rough brigand in tow, his presence hostile from the get go.

Who could this possibly be?

…

“You want another round?”

“Nah, I’m broke.”

“I’m not.” Savage gave a tacit pitch.

“Then I’ll take your offer.”

Getting wasted wasn’t how I’d like to start the afternoon, but meeting an old friend warranted such a debauchery. Man, it’s nice to have someone I can truly talk to.

Oh? You thought Savage was going to stab me? Why would he? The bastard was just trying to make me sharpen his stupid dagger. The man doesn’t have the slightest clue on what maintenance means. I don’t even think he’s literate. Of course, as a reunion service, I borrowed the pub’s whetstone and made it shine brand spanking new. He lost his other dagger, so we were planning on going to stealing acquiring another one later but even with one, he can still cut up fiends at a moment’s notice.

And that moment seems to be now apparently considering the minced fiend in front of me. Was there a time skip I was unaware of? I swear I was just drinking a moment ago.

“Where are we?”

“Jeff, you’re the one that led me here,” Savage directs at the scene in front of me before giving me a reverbering huff, “I swear you always pull me into your crap every time I meet you.”

Okay there Savage, put that glare away and let’s deal with this mess.

“I hope you’re aware Jeff, this is your mess.”

That’s absolute fiction, it can’t have been me. And thinking back, this gives me a bit of déjà vu, and I thought I was possessed before, and I’m sure I’m right because it ain’t me pulling these stints.

I mean c’mon, look at those stab wounds! I use a crossbow godsdamnit! The blonde guy probably has at least fifteen stab wounds. But looking at his garments… He probably deserved it.

Frivolous scum. Ptui!

“So you’re going to ignore the bloody knife in your hands?”

What kn-

Oh. Oh no.

"This…" I stutter for words, but I can only frankly say what I think, "This was past me's fault."

The flicker in his eyes doesn't change as I take a couple more double takes between the body and the knife in my hands. We… We’re gonna hope the guards don’t show up any time this year.