[Silver Sliver Tavern] - (Open, Winter)

[Dervish]

Dervish looked after Lorcan walking over to the waitress, this could only turn out akward for him he mused, as Lorcan started speaking to her. He looked nervous, and Dervish grinned a smug smile at his friends' behaviour, it was typical of him acting like this when any pretty girl smiled at him. He seemed to move quicker, talk less structured and not knowing how or what to do. As Lorcan returned to the table, Dervish grinned at him and spoke a short sentence before the servant arrived with his sliver, in response to Lorcans' comment on being naive;"I reckon you could get her, especially if we were to put on a little act." Dervish grinned, his trail of thoughts had been derailed and a sly plan had formed in his head as he watched Lorcan approach the waitress. They could make him out as the villain and Lor-- No, now was not the time for games. She returned to the table, smile intact and apparently her mood unspoiled, whether to be disappointed or happy about it Dervish couldn't decide. Lorcan seemed nervous but cheerful, and as the waitress threw Dervish a parting wink he grinned faintly, the hostility from before seeming to have faded, he had overreacted anyway and Lorcan would rather have him be friendly. He looked up at Lorcan again, who missed his previous moodshift and was met with a rather serious but calm Dervish, leaning up against the barwall and looking at him curiously as he asked his question. Here goes, in a hushed voice, Dervish leaned in and started speaking, leaning on the bar counter as he explained;Remember how I've spoken about needing an occupation? One where I can use my abilities inside of the law, get paid and get a future...?" He asked rhetorically, keeping his voice low enough to be inaudible to others but high enough not to raise suspicion, he continued;"I intend to join the Ebonstryfe." He finished speaking, and awaited Lorcan's response.

[Lorcan]

Lorcan let Dervish finish talking before he finished his sliver in one gulp and looked at Dervish straight and with a low voice he asked. "You intend to work for those guys? Become one of them?" Lorcan could not believe his ears, his best friend in the whole world wanted to work for evil itself. I mean sure they weren't always on the morally superior side of the law, but the Ebonstryfe took things too far. He knew that if he'd ever say a word out loud against them he'd disappear like all the others. "Are you sure about this? Howmuch are they offering you?" Because well, if it was an outrageous amount then it wouldn't be that bad. Still, Lorcan didn't really know how he felt about this, on one side it was good he'd get a job, plus the Ebonstryfe were respected and feared, while on the other side he'd be making people, good and honest people, disappear for no reason. So he sighed, looked at his empty mug and said: "I'm going to need another drink..."

[Dervish]

Dervish looked tired but serious as Lorcan ranted. It was ridiculous, the idea that he shouldn't join the Ebonstryfe because of "morals". The Ebonstryfe were the law, they decided what was moral, and Rhysols' servants word was no matter how you looked at it the final voice in any discussion, argument or conflict in the city, including morals. I'm sure. Becoming one of them would mean everything for me, it's the only viable option. What else? Work for some random noble as a soldier or other? I don't know any crafts. This is what I can do, to me, it's this or "The Pit." Dervish stated bluntly, referring to the Fighting Slave Arena, where any fight could be your last, an occupation nearly doomed to death. Dervish raised his head and looked around the bar, waving a hand at a nearby waitress without paying much attention to it being the same he had insulted earlier. He bent down and continued in the same serious low voice;"I know you have some resentment, but this is inavoidable.. Either way, Lorcan. What's the problem?" He finished, taking a big gulp of his sliver and looking at him questioningly.

[Lorcan]

Lorcan looked shocked at Dervish, then imagined Dervish in the pits for a second and figured they could make lots of money there... But thats not what he wanted, yes the Ebonstryfe were a better option. "Wait, what about being a bouncer for a tavern or something? I'm sure you can kick people out into the streets, right?" Lorcan honestly felt happy about this solution. Maybe this was a way out, he wouldn't become one of them and maybe get some stability. So instead of waiting for an answer he raised his head and turned to the barkeep. "Hey Barkeep, can I get another sliver?" After which he put the coin on the counter and smiled a little.

[Cassandra Coven]

With a tray full of empty dishes and mugs in her hands, Cassandra saw the man with the unkempt hair wave for service and she approached immediately. Fortunately, there were not many people milling about, most were already on their seats so she made her way by his side quickly enough. She had heard the man's red-headed friend's words when she arrived and she raised her eyebrows at both of them. "Looking to work here, are we? We don't have any bouncers employed since the, um, Ebonstryfe keeps order most of the time. Some of them probably come over here for a drink when off duty. Not that I would know for sure, of course." Cassandra spoke the faction's name in a hushed tone and she laughed nervously as she finished speaking, in case one or the other were actually members of said faction. She cleared her throat, eager to move past the line of conversation. "But if you're looking to work here, I guess you can ask the barkeep." The dark-haired barmaid paused for a moment to place the tray she carried on the bar to wipe her hands on her apron, before taking up the tray once more. A charming smile back on her lips once more, she asked, "Anyway, what can I get you, sir?"

[Dervish]

Dervish looked at Lorcan with a look of sarcastic disbelief, his suggestion seemed preposterous. A bouncer? A job with no future, no skill, and no entertainment. He couldn't be a bouncer, he wasn't big or tall enough, had no patience and definetely wasn't the personality to keep a conflict down and end it by throwing someone out peacefully. Dervish saw the waitress approaching, and didn't get an answer out before she had started speaking. What she said about The Ebonstryfe just proved his point, although her nervous laughter and demeanour might prove some of Lorcans... Work here? Dervish looked up at her with his inspecting look, she wiped the hands off in her aprons and asked him another question. This was going anywhere, and he might as well give her one in return;"You wouldn't want me to become a bouncer here, correct? Honestly, I'd expect you to have a profound dislike of me, is that right?" Dervish suddenly asked her, looking up at her with an almost sad smile, but speaking with a speed and energy expressing his intent to prove a point;[i]"See, Lorcan? There's no future in "business", for me. We both know it." He took a deep breath. This was tirering, and not a situation he felt comfortable with at all. Dervish looked up at her again, with a polite but blank smile in it's place to match her own;"I'd like that meal with a sliver on the side now, Cassandra." He said, and leaned back against the wall, seeming tired after his long and strange tirade. He was nothing in this city, but he knew how he could become something.

[Cassandra Coven]

Cassandra shrugged, not taking the man's words one way or the other. She just gestured at the tavern in general before speaking. The surly one was being forthright, so he deserved the same. "We get all sorts here, as you can see. Some drown their issues in drink, others not so much. Everyone is welcome as long as they pay for what they order. Politeness is secondary, and our opinions don't matter; we'd still accept your coin." The young woman leaned forward and added in a conspiratorial tone, "If you want to be leery of insulting anyone, it would be the cook. You don't want to find any surprises in your meal after all..." She trailed off, doing her best to maintain a serious facade, but in the end she could not contain herself and burst into giggles. "I jest, gentlemen! We serve good food here. I'll have your meal prepared, sir. And for you, sir?" she asked, turning to the man's red-haired companion. "The same as your friend, or are you good with your drink?"

[Lorcan]

While Dervish and the barmaid named Cassandra were chatting about Dervish being a part of the Ebonstryfe he considered both sides of the argument and started thinking. It would be very likely Dervish could make something of himself this way, on the other hand he might become a mindless drone of the Black Sun. He sighed and stared at his empty mug, playing with the coin he was about to hand over. Still not really following the conversation he heard the occasional word fly through his head, "Ebonstryfe, order, profound dislike, coin" Coin... it was always about coin! If only Dervish knew some skill or craft he wouldn't be in this mess.. Lorcan sighed before realizing Cassandra had asked him something. "Huh wha? Oh a meal? Uhm..." Lorcan went back to staring at the coin for a single moment, holding it between index finger and thumb. He silently cursed it for being such an essential component of life.. He suddenly noticed his stomach growling like a roaring beast, he was hungry. Which made sense because he hadn't eaten since break time at work, he glared at the coin a final time and looked back at Cassandra, "Sure, I'll take your meal, but no Sliver for me, I should take it easy."

[Cassandra Coven]

With a nod to the men, Cassandra picked up the tray of dirty dishes and left to head into the kitchen. The roasted lamb was ready off the grill and the barmaid merely had to add the side dishes on the plates. She crinkled her nose, immediately identifying the cook's favorite spice sprinkled generously on the meat: pepper. Apart from adding copious amounts of red chili peppers in his dishes enough to singe Ivak's tongue, the man also enjoyed showering everything he prepared with the black powder. As she considered it for a moment, Cassandra thought it was a good ploy to keep patrons ordering for more drink. She wondered why she had never thought to do that back in Syliras when she also cooked for the tavern she used to work in. Taking two iron plates, Cassandra prepared the men's meals, taking the more expensive lamb ribs for the unkempt man and the more standard fare for his red-haired friend. She liked to fix up the arrangement of the food, as she thought that the customers would appreciate it more (and perhaps give more tip!) if their meals were made more palatable because of their presentation. Fried potato sticks were added with mixed vegetables to the ribs; the lamb stew that the red-haired man ordered already had its own greens in it. Using a flat, shovel-like implement, Cassandra put them into the blazing oven. She only needed to wait for a while, for the iron plates made reheating the food quite fast. And then it was just a matter if pouring the gravy on it, both to add more flavor to the food and to speed up the cooling of the plates. As it cooled, she would use tongs to place the plates on wooden boards so that she would be able to serve them to the patrons without burning her fingers. A loaf of bread went on each plate, though she also took a slice of pie - apple with cinnamon, it seemed - and put it on a saucer. That one was included with the meal of rack of ribs. In less than ten chimes, she was out of the kitchen, the plates of their respective meals placed before the men. "Dinner is served, gentlemen!" She capped it off by refilling the dark-haired man's mug with Sliver and serving a mug of plain ale for his friend. "Enjoy!" Total expenses : Dervish: 3 Silver Slivers and 1 Meal (good) = 5gm (I'm surprised you're not roaring drunk yet XD) Lorcan: 1 Silver Sliver + 1 Meal (common) = 1.5gm Please correct me if my calculations are wrong.

[Dervish]

As Cassandra was leaving, the realisation of that he was growing increasingly intoxicated, and that it'd hardly strengthen his ability to reason, Dervish called out;"I'll just have that meal without a sliver!" Slightly louder than intended. He turned back to Lorcan intending to continue their discussion, not even having emptied his previous Sliver, ordering another would be foolish. He drummed his fingers on the counter, and went through his reasoning in his head. It was sound, he needed a job, one that would include what he could do - Fight. One that would be accepted by society - They were the society, authority and ruled the city. One where he might have a future of actually becoming something. There was no other way;"Lorcan, this is what I can do. It's the one way I can be accepted for doing what I can do, do you see any other?" Dervish asked, and took a small sip of his sliver. He felt lighter, yet knew he wasn't, and his balance might betray him if he tried to move too much. How strange. As Cassandra returned, Dervish looked at the meal with a faint smile, and murmured a barely audible "Thank you.." under his breath, then picked up a knife and started eating the ribs, focused and decent until she left, and afterwards quickly and completely without manners.