A wealthy merchant by the name of Tae-Hyun boasted about this new sweet wine that he declared "Tasted like it came from the heavens!". However, when the rest of Iria asked for a taste or a share of the recipe, the selfish merchant refused to let them have a single drop. His excuse was that the finer tastes of life belonged to the people of finery. Tae-Hyun invited hundreds of nobles, merchants, and even royalty to a massive celebration where he would let them all have a taste of splendor. Many shrugged it off as the wealthy just being their stuck-up rude selves but one fae woman in particular took offense to such mistreatment of alcohol. 

There was never an invite delivered and not a single person cared to share the recipe. Wine ought to be a treat for all the world and not for just one person to use as a bargaining chip for politics. So that night, the mischievous little fae hatched her brilliant plan. She would have to sneak into the grande mansion where the party would take place and either steal the recipe or steal the barrel of wine. For the next week she seduced, stole, and eavesdropped on those with connections to Tae-Hyun to learn about the guards centered around this mansion and where the treasured alcohol would be. 

The only problem… she needed a partner in crime. There were too many guards and she was not strong enough to take them all on. And she was very inexperienced with such thievery. She needed a rogue. A rogue who was experienced enough to steal and cared enough about wine to complete this heist. During the middle of the night, the blue haired fae made her way down to a famous tavern called Jangmi where she would find plenty of rogues to pick from. 

But who would risk their lives for just a barrel of wine? 

The stars were spinning particularly fast for this time of night. From where Iulian laid in the dew speckled grass, his clothing slowly soaking up moisture and chilling his skin, it was as if their little planet were plummeting through the galaxies. A weak grin spread his lips wider, the bitter taste of mushrooms still fresh on his tongue. The person he’d bought them from promised they could enchant any blood, and enchant they did. Iulian could practically float on air, or go from branch to branch as nimbly as a summer breeze, and yet he had never felt so weightless.

Unfortunately, as good as they were, his body still metabolized everything quickly which led to a powerful but short high. The note of lutes fluttered like butterfly wings across his vision, and he outstretched a hand to try and touch the sound. A purple fog followed his hand, causing him to chuckle and spell his name with the tip of his finger. He was the only one that could see these hallucinations and cared very little if he looked ridiculous in the grass moving his arm this way and that.

Soon the stars slowed, the notes dissipated, and the smell of colors was blind to his nose. Well that was fast, he thought to himself. Pushing up on his elbows, he tipped his head all the way back, letting the sway of golden lit windows come to a halt before trying to move. By the moon it was well into the night, but there were still people traversing.
With a sigh, he rolled over onto his stomach and then up to his feet in one fluid motion. Stretching his arms over his head, the tail of his shirt rose just enough to expose a sliver of sun kissed skin. The arch of his back deepened until he heard and felt a satisfying crack. He was coming down, and wanted to get some decent alcohol in his system to balance everything out.

No sound came from his silent footsteps as he moved barefoot towards the buildings and streets. A tuft of his dark hair fell impishly in front of one of his eyes, which he quickly blew out of the way. As slender and lanky as he was, it would be easy to mistake him for a young naïve man, but even he had lost track of his age by now. Things like that didn’t matter much to him anymore. There hadn’t been a good job in a while. That’s something he cared about.

Coming up to a tavern, he could already taste the heat of bodies within. That kind of heat was delicious but only with the press of skin against skin, not just humidified sweat. He moved to the bar, leaning his long body forward to rest his elbows on the bar top. His blue eyes were a sparkling night sky, his voice soft as a cat’s purr as he ordered a shot to start with.

No sooner had the liquid burned down his throat did the door open. His interest was immediately piqued when he saw her hair. Instantly he wanted to touch it, see if it was as cool as the water it so resembled. Waiting to see what she was going to do, he ordered another drink, only this time he only held it up to his lips in anticipation.

She scanned the interior of the tavern and a few folks within peeked her interest. Yet the mission relied entirely on ambition and a chaotic lack of self-preservation rarely found among the rougish kind. Her eyes were full of mischief and she wore a black gown decorated with silver beads to demonstrate her ability to pay those she worked with. Practically skipping over to a seat on the small stage shoved in the corner of the tavern, she plopped herself down.

Ciara began whispering ancient fae spells as a strange purple glow circled her hands. In a flash of purple and blue magic, a lyre made from sky shards and unicorn hair appeared in her hands. She plucked one of the strings sending a beautiful clear note echoing across the tavern room. The laughter and gossip of the tavern fell silent. The fae woman opened her mouth and began to speak in a pretty and almost musical way. 

"Dear tavern guests. I'm desperately seeking some assistance." She declared, "Experience with magic and thievery is a must. You'll be risking your lives for a glass of wine."

The fae woman continued to pluck her lyre as she spoke, creating a pretty little tune laced with magic. Anyone with a weak mind would find themselves swaying to the music and unable to focus on her actual words. But for those who were clever or those who were fae, it would be regular music. Fae tricks rarely worked on those of her own but it helped to weed out the ones who couldn't do the job in the first place. 

"So, is anyone interested in my proposition? I promise it pays well." Ciara claimed with a little smile. 

The ones who were unaffected by the magic looked at each other with confusion. They had no idea why anyone would risk their lives for just some wine. Not to mention the woman hiring people was clearly suspicious. Nobody in their right mind would ever jump on such a plan. 

Iulian watched as she moved to the corner stage, the glass of his shot still paused at his lips. He turned to continue looking at her, leaning back against one elbow and crossing one ankle over the other. With a quick sweep he could see she was well off, but the mist of magick around her wrists clicked into place what she was: fae, like him. His lips curled before tipping his head back and downing the shot. This, this was something interesting. Rather than order more drink, he listened to her playing and her proposition.

Those too weak minded to resist her lyrical voice soon had glassy eyes. He knew that look well, he loved that look, and wished he was close enough to feel their pulses thrumming through their jugular. A perfectly sculpted eyebrow quirked up at her intriguing offer. A single handful of her gown was worth a barrel of fine wine, so why risk one’s life for only a glass?

A line of too white teeth appeared with a wide smile; this was something interesting. And besides, he needed something good to chase his high, so why not? Payment didn’t matter that much to him, not the monetary kind at least, he had more than enough of that. What exactly was so special about this wine?

He scanned the room, taking note that no one had volunteered, not even the ones able to resist being captivated. With a sigh he shook his head, these people were too boring. Not moving from his lean against the bar, he called out to her just loudly enough for her to hear through the chorus of confused chatter, “What can you pay for someone that needs no coin?”

If anyone paid him any attention, he took no notice: his gaze stayed locked on hers. So much so the rest of the tavern faded into darkness with his focus. “Because I could go for a glass,” he crooned.

Disappointment was a bitter taste she was just about to experience when a voice shouted above the clatter. She paused in her playing and would only see Iulian in the room. A smile appeared on her face as she jumped from the stage and was by Iulian in seconds with her lyre shrunken to a small size left in a hidden pocket. Her eyes observed his appearance and build. Either he was fae like herself or he held a strong mind. Either way, his overall build was perfect for her clever little plan. 

"Let's find a private room so we can continue our little conversation." She suggested with a smile. 

Ciara booped his nose and turned to the bartender. After handing him enough coins for a suite, he gave her a nod and handed her a key for one of the upstairs rooms. She snatched the key and attempted to pull Iulian towards the bought room. Once they were both inside, she shut the door and hopped onto one of the available chairs. The room was fairly large with a queen sized bed and two chairs in a little living room like space. The largest room for the hotel and usually reserved for nobility. 

"Can't let prying ears pick up on our plans can we?" She said, "A merchant named Tae-Hyun has made a claim of owning the sweetest wine in all Parvpora. Instead of sharing he has decided to only let nobles and other wealthy relatives have a taste during a masked ball. Personally, I think its a bit offensive to boast and hide it all to yourself." 

Standing up, she handed him a bag of silver coins from one of her hidden dress pockets. 

"This will be your pre-payment. Of course anything you manage to snatch while in the mansion is yours as well." The fae woman stated, "What was the phrase that mortals use? Ah, yes! Eat the rich! Feel free to eat anything of his. Though, I would recommend avoiding any poison stashes…. So, are you still interested?" 

Iulian watched as the young woman bounded towards him. If her magick hadn’t been a giveaway of what she was, her grace would have been enough indication. Even the clumsiest of fae could make mortals weep with how their bodies moved, a fact he took advantage of often. His eyebrows rose when she requested a room, and he didn’t even mind when she tapped his nose. Interesting indeed.

The room she led him to had to be one of the largest, if not the largest, at this tavern and she had purchased it for a night as if it were nothing. With long slow strides, he walked around the room. It wasn’t often that he stayed inside, so no matter the size it felt like a box to him all the same. At least this was a very nice box. The bed looked soft enough, so he dropped down shamelessly to sit on the edge, crossing one leg over the other.

“Hm,” he smirked. “That sounds disgustingly selfish.”

True that nobles hired him, but their lack of imagination was boring. Honestly, having what some would consider the finest wine and choosing not to offer it to as many wanting lips as possible? They had to be human. If they were that tight fisted with their wine, what else did they keep under lock and key?

She brought his attention back at the jingle of silver. As she gave it to him, he was sure to let his fingers touch hers for the briefest of moments. The weight of coin was nice in his palm, he could tell how much was in it without having to look.

“As I said,” he hummed, placing the small pouch into his pocket. “What can you offer to someone that does not desire coin?”

Not that he was going to give it back since she had already produced it, but still, anyone could provide silver. Leaning forward, he cupped his chin in his hands and rested his elbows on his knee.

“I agree this person doesn’t deserve the wine they have, and I’ll enjoy much of what they have in their home,” he said with a wolfish grin. “But you’ll need to offer me more than silver. Though I do have to admit, the thrill is tempting enough.”

His eyes moved along her body from head to toe, taking in what he could see that she had on her person. The gown was the most distracting, but her hair was more alluring. Moving up from the bed, he walked over to her and gently pulled up a lock of blue.

“Would you part with any of this?”

He clearly knew the value items beyond silver but she she almost wished he would simply state what he was looking for. Perhaps her time among humans had been too long as she had grown used to their blunt ways. He held her hair gently and she realized that would be his prize. A mischievous grin covered her face as she cupped his chin, lifting his face, attempting to move him closer to observe him. 

"My, aren't you naughty? Asking for a lady's hair?" She teased, "You're fortunate I'm most obliging." 

She dropped her hand and let out a small sigh. 

"I'm afraid there is a pact we must make if I'm to surrender a lock of hair. You must swear to never use it in a spell involving me. A fae swear. Of course, you already know what that is." Ciara said with a smirk. 

Although she would be willing to give up some of her hair, there were many spells in which a lock of hair could severely damage her. Voodoo, love poisons, and many other little tricks were nasty when given to a stranger without knowing their intentions. Many a stalker would want her hair. As for him, it had been difficult to tell what kind of person he was but a glamour was easy for other fae to recognize once they were out of crowds. 

"If you're willing to swear, then I shall part with it." Ciara spoke, "Anything else the mansion holds will be yours and I will let you have a sip of wine as well. Just as a treat if you're very good."