Roni didn't know how it had happened, but she was pretty much the mother figure of Hyperion Heights. Despite her attempts to appear tough and detached, deep down, the barkeep did care very much for all her patrons. And especially for those she grew closer to.

Roni was the go-to for a lot of people. Need to talk? Roni will listen. Need to drink away your sorrows? She'll make sure you don't get too out of hand. Or just need a quiet drink and a place to go? She'll maintain that, too. But she definitely didn't care. Not at all.

However, there was one person who she really couldn't deny she had a soft spot for. One of Victoria Belfrey's kids. Victoria, wrapped up in her work and her general lack of care for them, didn't pay them any attention. And they knew why. Because they weren't their sister. Their mother's precious little girl. Even dead, they couldn't compete with Anastasia. And while their sister Ivy continued to try, they distanced themselves completely as soon as they hit 18.

They had wandered into Roni's bar once, and Roni, knowing what Victoria was like, had an immediate distrust for them. But she quickly learned that that distrust was misplaced. They wanted nothing to do with their mother. That, Roni could respect. Over time, they became a regular, and Roni couldn't help the maternal protectiveness she felt for them. Her bar was like a shelter for them; she'd offered them a job there to help them pay the bills when they moved out of their mother's home.

It was around mid-day when they arrived for their shift, and Roni greeted them with a warm smile that she reserved only for them.

"Hey kid! How are you today?"

She asked as she wiped down the counter, a glint in her eyes that only showed for them.