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Lief inhaled and exhaled slowly, tucking his hands into his pockets. He turned on his heels and ducked his head, but stopped halfway. The amount of guilt he felt was more than he could hold, so he swiftly began walking back to her.

He inhaled and kicked the floor, wincing as he shut his eye tightly. "The.. The traveling statement was a lie. I don't travel- not because I want to, anyways. Yes, I used to perform, around the age of nine. Though, I had to stop when I was banished from my village after burning down the King's bedroom."

He sighed, catching his breath before continuing to talk in a quick manner. "Now that I'm mentioning lying, I didn't exactly ride horses. It was more like.. I stole them and then rode them-" He had a million thoughts going through his mind at once. "Yes- stole, before you ask. Y'know- Hell with it." He exhaled and handed the folded poster from earlier, which was sitting in his pocket, to her. "I'm also running from the guards of said village. You receive twenty hundred coins for finding my location. And one of the many reasons I haven't seen my siblings in so long is due to the fact they would turn me in with no hesitation." He drew a sharp breath, opening his eye. "So- Yes, Ember, I'm fine."

With a defeated sigh, Lief turned and began to walk away to find two drinks. "And I'm sorry."

Derek groaned as he looked around, muttering angrily. "Что за черт..?" He said, standing up with a wince. "Where am I?" He said quietly, mainly to himself before taking a drink from a small metal flask at his hip. He sighed, wiping his mouth. "That's the good stuff."

((I apologize for spelling mistakes beforehand!))
Ember listened to Liefthous as he confessed all that he did previous in muted shock and semi-horror. It drilled into her core and the Hall felt dead as the man walked away after all that was said and had done. She held the paper he had given her lightly, too busy looking at his back to take a glimpse at the item. Effort was needed to convince the red-head that those events had happened, part of her in disbelief. Liefthous didn't seem like the person to do all that; he smiled so brightly. Her mind felt blank but crowded at the same time and so licked her lips- throat and said lips suddenly feeling extremely dry.

Ember wasn't conflicted but she was torn between who she thought the man was and who he said to be. She cared for him either way, that she knew, but...it was a lot to take at once. Clenching her fist slightly reminded the woman that she held the paper the white-haired male gave to her. Looking down, she saw Liefthous. A life less and crumpled version of him, though him nonetheless. Odd symbols were inked into the object and it frustrated the grey-eyed woman that she had no idea of what any of it meant; just what was told not minutes ago.

At the grumble of a man, not Liefthous, she glanced his way with sad eyes. Taking what said male into heart, about people being after him, she hid the paper with his face on it behind her. Ember didn't want to take any chances. The longing to follow him was overwhelming, but stayed where she was, figuring he needed personal space.

"Insane." He drew a shaky breath, hissing at himself quietly. "That’s what you are, Law-" He cut himself off. "..Lief. You’ll be no better. Oi- Why didn’t you listen?" He ran his hands over his face, rounding a corner of a pillar and leaning against it. He sighed and ran his hands through his pale hair, which was surely a mess by now.

He hated admitting it to himself, but he thought the people were right. They had said that pushing people farther from you was easier than living itself. He had beloved the saying for quite some time, and it turned out to be true. The tougher you get, the less you get hurt.

Though, he understood he didn’t quite own the toughest personality. He was overall friendly after being harsh and/or stern at the first greeting, but he didn’t trust people too easily. Straightening his posture, he held his chin high and continued walking towards the bar area.

He would exhaled and drink a quick shot, the taste burning his throat like any other alcohol would. He then ordered a cup of water, tapping his foot as he gazed to his left. He would continue waiting, thinking of ways to approach Ember after.. 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵.

Ember stood there by herself in distress at the situation, slowly looking around to try and distract herself from the uncharacteristic emotions surging through the woman's heart. Hands clasped around each other in her front and eyes strained, refusing to move from her spot the man left her at.

She wondered if she had done something differently he would be smiling still. Liefthous had been through a fair bit in his lifetime and she was making it no easier for him. Maybe she should have kept her concerns to herself- they did only meet not too long ago. His problems shouldn't be her problem, but...

Ember dropped her gaze from the crowd and landed on the floor, her herself also wanting to fall to the floor, but she kept up. The paper of Liefthous was still in her hand, rolled up so no one can see it. An idea came to mind and she brought it back out to bunch it up. Closing her hands around it, she felt her power tighten in her arms and soon they lit with a blue flame; burning the paper to ash. It happened quickly and the blue licks disappeared, the ash seated in the woman's hands.

Now neither of them would worry about it any longer...at least that one.

Lief finally gained the courage to return, so he grabbed the drinks as they were set upon the table, turning around. "Alright- Just.. act like nothing happened. Simple." He spoke under his breath, forcing another smile. To be honest, smiling seemed to be a talent yet a curse of his.

He stepped in front of her, holding out a cup that was meant to be hers. "Apologies about before," Lief grinned, tilting his head to the right. "I didn’t mean to snap like that." The thief lowered his gaze to the floor, careful not to meet her eyes.

Ember looked up from her hands to Liefthous as he came back, smile and drinks, looking and sounding like nothing from before. He wasn't looking at her and she was...scared almost, to ask him to look at her. She didn't want a repeat of what happened. The woman wanted him smile of course but she knew, and most likely so did he, that the smile he had currently was fake.

Going for the cup then realizing the ash was still in her hands, Ember quickly turned around and placed it somewhat gently on the ground, dusting said hands after. Turning back to the white-haired male and taking the cup of drink being offered, she set it down also on the ground not too far from the pile of ash. She walked closer to him and tried to look him in the eyes...and took a risk.

"I think no less of Liefthous. In truth, I a respect you more. Many overcome hardships is the birth of a stronger person. Liefthous is strong but hurt. That is okay. You are here and that is the matter. I am apology that many hardships have left you in pain.", Ember attempted to reassure the man, and closed her eyes afterward- half expecting him to just leave and be done with her. She hoped he wouldn't.

Lief raised a slight eyebrow as she turned the opposite direction, thinking she would most likely was leaving. He inhaled, surprised when Ember faced him again.

He was caught off guard by her words, and the foolish smile fading. He was frozen in place, his eye wide. He opened his mouth to speak, but the words were caught in his throat as he didn’t know what to do. A millions thoughts was piercing through his head, though he could only manage to do one thing.

He set down his cup by his feet, rising up again before wrapping his arms around her as he surrounded her into a hug. "Thank you.." His voice would be muffled, the words barely made. He couldn’t tell if he was crying or if the alcohol had finally got to him, though he wanted to believe he had just had to much drink.

Ember let out a stifled noise of surprise and opened her eyes to the sight of Liefthous' being all around her, and instinctively gripped his shoulders to steady herself on the situation. They were embracing...embracing! It felt odd to the red-head but she hugged him back quickly. She knew that he wasn't aware of embracing from where she was from but she blushed slightly nonetheless- closing her eyes.

At his 'thank you' she hugged him tighter, her heart squeezing a little at it. The woman had to take a deep breath to ground herself but she felt light. He wasn't mad at her and he was trusting her enough to show himself to her. The thought brought a smile, her own one, to her face.

He’d let go, awkwardly fumbling back. He grinned foolishly and rubbed his neck. "Apologies-" He chuckled, looking up at her again. He rolled his eyes with another laugh. "I.. didn’t mean to-"

His gaze would drift to her cheeks, which were.. colored a shade of pink? Jokingly, he lifted an eyebrow and smirked. "Are you alright, Ember?" He gestured to her face, slightly confused, though he teased her anyways. The thief would look down at her, tilting his head to the left as his oversized ears perked.

Ember felt herself grow warm at his tease as he pointed to her face and she was quite certain way. The red-head cast her grey gaze to anywhere but Liefthous; only landing on him twice. "...To embrace is a show of much respect in my House-", she started and let an awkward grin grace her lips before continuing. "-for those directing respect to their close.", Ember finished with a small blink.

Then quickly added, "I am aware that Liefthous is not my close, and I not his, but it is what I know...it-", the woman let her voice fall, refusing to embarrass herself more.

Lief's mouth fell open, and he froze. He blinked at the response, slowly lowering his hand. Of all things beloved- "I.. I am so sorry-" He inhaled, awkwardly laughing. "I had no idea tat- Is embracing really.. I won't ask-"

The thief ruffled his hair in attempt to distract himself. "Ehm-" He clapped his hands together for the second time that evening, trying to draw his own attention. "Let's- It didn't happen?" He raised an eyebrow, flashing a weak grin.

Ember wanted to tilt her head in confusion at his question. It had happened so why was he- oh! It must be one of the non-questions tasks. "That which did happen did not happen.", she nodded in agreement with him, her pinkness slowly fading from her features.

Everything seemed so much more complicated here than at her House- other had so many other ways of things and it confused her. She hoped that she wouldn't insult anyone by accident with her ways. The thought worried her but she brushed it off. Ember expected for Liefthous to tell her if she was doing something wrong or bad without her knowledge.

The red-head stood there a moment before remembering the cup of drink the man gave to her, turning around and bending to get it, coming back up to blink gratefully at him. "Hydration.", she explained and took a gulp of it, forgetting to test for foulness.

He chuckled underneath his breath with yet another smile. He seemed to forget about his own drink, leaning back on his heels before he realized he had knocked it from its place. He swiftly turned around, blinking.

"Oh- By the name of Griyn's beard-" He sighed, slightly embarrassed. The thief laughed it off, bending down to pick up the cup. He had drank half, though the other half was lying upon the floor, reflecting the lights on the ceiling.

He looked back at Ember. "I'll.. go find a rag or somethin'. Make sure no one falls, alright? And don't get yourself killed." He lightly joked, turning his back and making his way to the bar once again, only he was in search of something to clean with, not beverages.

Ember nearly choked on her cup of drink at the sight of the man's own cup of drink spilling over the floor just behind him, taking it from her lips to look properly and went to put it down again. Hearing his words and task for her she nodded, completely serious and took her cup again. Moving herself to where the spill was she positioned herself on one side of it and her cup on the other to act as a marker almost. As she sat there her grey eyes narrowed. How could her life be in danger of watching a spill?

Lief glimpsed over his shoulder, snickering at her in a kind-ish, 'What is she doing?', way. He rolled his eyes, watching as a slender, lean man slipped past him. Eyes lit with mischief, he swiftly untied the knot to the rag on the man's belt. Lief guessed he was a worker or waiter, thinking it was strange to have a rag on you otherwise.

He skipped back to Ember, ducking to his left to avoid someone. "Well, someone would work well at the guard academy, hm?" Lief joked, sitting on one knee as he adjusted the rag in his grasp. He began scrubbing the floor, his brows furrowing slightly.

Ember turned her head to Liefthous when he spoke and blinked at the compliment. "Liefthous thinks I would be a good guard.", she repeated with pride seeping into her, straightening her back soon after.

As the man cleaned up the spill she looked around for something to help him with, but mentally pouted when she found nothing. Ember brought her knees to her chest and sat there feeling useless for a short time.

He shifted slightly, reaching for the spill on the opposite side of him. "..Perhaps." He looked up, meeting her eyes for a moment. He shrugged and continued cleaning, his eyes now focused on the floor. "Though, it's difficult to get in. Maybe with your sense of stubborness, you could make it past the gates."

He chuckled. "I'll admit, I was once a guard myself. Guard-in-training, apologies. I never.. admired having a high title nor rank." He smirked. "Though, if I hadn't lit the match, I could've been riding alongside Aleron-" He blinked, shaking the dream from his mind. He mumbled, rising to his feet as he thought the rest would have to dry. "Al was a friend of mine. I don't think you two have met? Oh, well. Perhaps that snob would be so caught up in his pride he wouldn't see you, hm?" He snickered, folding the rag with a small, joking roll of his eye.

Ember watched, still sad at being useless, but listened to Liefthous nonetheless with her full attention. Though he was talking about his previous times, he wasn't acting off, and it rid the red-head of her sad bout. A spoken name she never heard before surfaced and once she learned that said spoken named belonged to someone the man knew, she tried to remember it. At his comment towards the spoken name she waited before speaking, still on the ground, lost in thought.

"Liefthous is not worried about the Alrom knowing his location. Alrom is Liefthous' close.", the red-head pointed out and then thought about what she had heard. Someone knowing of the male's position would be dangerous and if he trusted someone with it, then he trusts them completely...at least that's what she thought.

Lief coughed, taken aback by her inquiriements. "My.. My close? As in partner?" Lief cleared his throat, turning away as he felt the skin along his cheekbones redden. "No.. No. Al isn't- he wouldn't even think 'bout something like that." He added in a murmur, "He's too caught up with women to give men a glimpse."

He laughed anxiously to cover his last said words, clearing his throat as he raised a fist to his mouth. "And I don't wish to know his location. I'm sure the captain can take care of himself." He stated, lowering his hand as he tucked the rag onto the loop of his belt.