098 » my favorite liar and i know you so well

[ironwind]

[The thing about honor, Aether has learned, is that it doesn't cover expenses.

The title of Honorary Knight may be a lofty one, but it didn't come with money, or any kind of reward — so for the time being, it's as good as worthless. Aether may be recognized by the local authorities, but he's really just another adventurer, a traveling mercenary, whatever the people of this world call their hired blades. Sure, he drove Stormterror from the city, but that was just a matter of being in the right place at the right time. In truth, most people in the city still don't know his name or his face, and that's fine, really. Aether isn't looking for fame.

He has basic needs, though. He can only sleep outside under the stars for so long, and even if he can skip a meal or two, Paimon can't, and she doesn't deserve to starve, anyway. He needs money, and food, and a place to stay. He'll be able to get that sooner or later through honest work, he's as certain of that as he is of the sword he can call to his hand at a moment's whim, but for now, just for now...

Just for one night, maybe —]

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[ironwind]

[He finds out pretty quickly that there's a certain alleyway in Mondstadt where these deals happen. (There's always a certain alleyway, or a certain street, or a certain road, or a certain park.) A place where everyone goes when they need to be attended to — a place the Knights and the Church of Favonius turn a blind eye to because, well, they have other problems to deal with.

Besides, in the city of freedom, where wine flows as freely as wealth does, it should be perfectly natural that some people choose to trade sex for money.

Aether's there, and the johns know his type, though his type is rarely clad in armor, rarely wears embroidered clothing and jewels that shine in the dark. Still, he's clearly young, attractive, and desperate. Other details don't matter. It didn't take him very long to get a prospective customer wheedling him, slurring slightly, probably having come right out of the Cat's Tail in hopes of getting another kind of tail.

"Come on, I don't have the money on me right now," says his prospective client. He's a nobleman, well-dressed — brunette, blue-eyed, not too awful-looking, though a bit weak-jawed and unmemorable. "But if you come back to my place, I can pay you thirty thousand for the night."]

I'm not going anywhere with you for anything less than forty thousand. Ten thousand up front. How do I know you're not going to waste my time?

[Aether's tone is calm and measured, even gently threatening, but this only seems to make the young noble want him more. "I — I'd never waste your time, beautiful. I promise, I have the money! Just look at me, I've got all these — all these rings, you could take one, pawn it if you wanted —"

His excuses are too desperate; someone who actually had money wouldn't be trying to justify himself like this. Leaning against a wall, dimly illuminated by a streetlamp, Aether doesn't look upset or uncomfortable so much as he is just annoyed. Where's another option when you need one...?]

[pavocellus]

[Though his carefree attitude suggests otherwise, Kaeya actually does go to a lot of trouble to keep his affairs in order. He can handle it when things get messy, but he prefers for the mess to be comprised of other people's problems. It's hard to enjoy spectating if it's his ass on the line, after all! Having an excess of interpersonal drama just isn't his style. Diluc notwithstanding, he puts in the effort to maintain good relations with people.

Aside from a little harmless teasing here and there, of course.

Avoiding said drama is what brings Kaeya to the alleyway tonight. Could he just seduce someone into bed with him? Yes, and without much difficulty — but there's no guarantee that whoever he targets will be all right keeping things casual. It's just easier to hire a whore and be done with it. Such conduct is not becoming of a knight (most of them are as uptight as Jean, bless their hearts), but he doesn't particularly care. Why should he? Everyone comes here for the same thing, no one's going to go tattling or they'll risk their own reputations taking a hit.

When he initially hears Aether's soft voice upon turning the corner, he groans internally, thinking he ended up here mistakenly. But then Aether firmly names his price and Kaeya realizes it's not a mistake at all. Fascinating. How often has he done this to be so calm about it? What circumstances drove him to it? Questions rattle around in his skull, quieting when he notices how pushy that noble is getting.]

I can pay upfront, [Kaeya drawls, sauntering over to stand beside the noble. He lifts his coin purse and gives it a shake, grinning.

Now then, how will the traveler react?]

[ironwind]

[The traveler, being rather relaxed, doesn't react nearly as fast as the nobleman, who panics. "Sir — fuck," the man blurts out, eyes wide as he suddenly jerks back from Aether in an effort to put as much distance between them as possible. Clearly, he meant to say Sir Kaeya and abruptly thought better of drawing any more attention to himself. He fumbles for excuses. "I'll just, uh — sorry, sir, I'll be on my way! I was just going home!"

The young noble beats a hasty retreat, almost stumbling in his shiny leather boots as he tries to leave the scene as casually and quickly as he can manage. In any case, though, it's as Kaeya figures: he doesn't need to worry that the nobleman will say anything to the Knights about seeing their Cavalry Captain on this street at this time of night, given that doing so will only open him up to questions about why he was there.

Visibly, Aether relaxes once the man is out of his personal space, looking up at Kaeya (now Sir Fuck, apparently) with a slightly relieved, if still wary, expression.]

...Thank you.

[He leaves it at that for now, though his eyes do flick curiously towards Kaeya's obviously full bag of Mora. Is the Cavalry Captain actually trying to hire his services, or did he just say that to make a point to the frazzled noble? Sure, the man seems like exactly the kind of character who might be here at this time of night for certain illegitimate purposes, but best not open himself up to arrest if the latter case is true...]