[Flashback]Two Sides of the Same Coin (Ariadne)

[Vondra Valencia]

40th of Spring, 510AV Today was the day. Her mama would not be able to point out anything she had done wrong and she would get her first practice out of the way and be a master at this. That was the general plan anyway. The hard part was actually finding someone and figuring out what pleased them. Usually her mama took her to a tavern, it was her comfort zone, but today she had said Vondra needed a challenge. Something she had to work for. What better way than accosting people in the Peoples Market? Within the small area she could hear both buskers and vendors alike shouting or calmly pressuring people into buying goods, leaving a coin or two and from the sounds of it even a few fights. It seemed to busy or her mama had a knack for picking out their own shopping outings when things seemed eerily quite. “You see over there?” She didn’t even bother to sigh, only nodding to her mama’s words and feeling the general direction the hand at her back pushed her in. Vondra was more than a little wary, with her mama’s sense of humor she could be very well walking into a wall. “Who is there?” “Oh, a few performers, a busker or two and some dancers it looks like.” It was a vague reply but Vondra paid it no heed, pulling away from the insistent hand and wandering towards the noise that didn’t sound as violent as the bartering. Behind her she felt her mother drift away, melding into the crowd probably as she was known too. For an instant she felt nervous and awkward, hearing the light laughter, musicians and other performers calling to her and other people wandering past the group. Her stomach churned unpleasantly and she feared losing her meal. However a rough hand grabbing her own calmed her. Within moments she was being tugged along to a performance she couldn’t see but happy that the other was happy and throwing him a copper miza. It was entertainment, it was light and fun. A smile that was halfway between a smirk and genuine flitted on her face and she reached out for her whoever was in front of her. “Take me dancing!” And her commanding request did not go unheeded.

[Ariadne]

That day Ariadne had decided to take a pause in her "work" and just enjoy the day. That meant do anything else than staying in the hovel she currently resided in; a jaunt through the city to see what Ravok had in store for her today. She had quickly applied a little make-up from her increasingly dwindling supply of cosmetics: just a tad of kohl for the eyes and a little stain of pink for her lips. She dressed in simple pants and a loose blouse - thanks to Rhysol the weather would be well maintained. She left the little shack after that, intent on getting away from it and having some fun. As she navigated the city's intricate series of bridges Ariadne noticed many looks, ranging from the mildly curious glance to a full ravishing with a look. A smirk curved the right side of her mouth in satisfaction and arrogance. Normally she would take advantage of many of those people (not all of those hungry gazes came from men) using her natural sex appeal, an appallingly large about of cleavage and breathy whispers to distract them. She had been thieving quite a bit recently, however, and her instincts cautioned her to be weary and take a break, at least for a few days. She was getting dangerously overconfident, and that could be as detrimental to her career as the clumsiness she first experienced (and still did, to be honest). Ariadne blinked, surprised to find herself in the People's Market. She felt a rumble in her abdomen coupled with the sudden urge to eat and suspected a conspiracy afoot between her unconscious mind and stomach. The market was filled with the clamour of people; the stalls crowded as citizens milled around from all walks of life, eager to purchase food and apparently haggle about the prices. Loudly. Stalls coloured like exotic birds of paradise dotted the plaza, each and every one facing inward and displaying barrels of foods. The stall keepers kept a careful eye on their wares between helping customers and arguing with them. In the center of the plaza a large group of people were dancing earnestly, accompanied by joyous music as musician came to ply their skills. Even as she watched, a young woman approached the troupe, her movements measured and deliberate. Even with the evident fullness of a youthful face (or perhaps helped by it) the girl was beautiful, a certain self-assured aura projected by her that drew the eye. Ariadne frowned, certain that she had seen this girl before. A native to Ravok than, but someone she couldn't readily place. Even as she watched the girl was drawn into the dance, and a smile graced her face. Ariadne approached one of the various stands, looking over it for something to eat and saw a basket of juicy red apples. The stall-keeper was busy arguing with another customer over the price of some peaches; an opportunity presenting itself to the thief. The basket wasn't too far from her - assuming she was quick enough she could easy acquire an apple, the stall keeper none-the-wiser. Her hand shot out, but at that exact moment the man looked over and caught her quickly stuffing the fruit into her pocket. "Thief!" He cried out, and made to come after her. Ariadne panicked and ran, her heart sent racing off at an alarming rate. She turned and ran, her small frame twisting out away from another man who attempted to grab her. Panic had seized her, but she had already scoped out an escape route unknowingly. The dancing crowd. Adrenaline coursing through her, spurred on by her furiously pumping heart. Ariadne was petite and short - she was low to the ground and dodged people left and right, taking on a zig-zag rhythm. Behind her cries of thief followed, but in Ravok people had a tendency to stay out of others' business. That didn't mean a few had made an attempt at grabbing her, it just meant that not as many who could have did. In the scattered crowd the stall keeper was falling behind, his cries not as close as they had been. Ariadne felt the first stirrings of victory in her when the unthinkable happened. She tripped on her own two feet. Really, one would expect that if you've had them all your life, you'd know how to use them and, consequently, not become confounded by them when said life was in danger. She fell and hit the ground hard, her chin rebounding off the stone and her teeth jarred painfully together. Disoriented and winded, it took Ariadne a few heartbeats to get back up and start running again, but it gave the stall keeper time to check up with her. By then, however, they were close enough to the crowd in the center of the plaza. Ariadne half ran - half dove into the dance, shaking off grasping hands as quickly as she could. Again, she was a small woman, and it was easier for her to eluded people. The stall keeper was a bigger man - a bigger target, and his momentum was slowed more than her's. The thief kept moving, the keeper's cries of theft swallowed by up by the music and merriment of the dancing participants. Ariadne pulled herself through, now feeling comfortable enough to launch into the dance with the rest and attempt to blend in. She found the girl she had seen earlier, the same smile on her face. Ariadne grasped her free hand quickly, picking up the steps and joining in with the merriment. Hopefully, the stall keeper would be looking for someone who was running, and not too closely examining the dancers. In addition, it gave her a chance to catch her breath. As her heart rate slowed, Ariadne looked over her shoulder. She caught a glimpse of the pursuing stall keeper in the crowd. Panic shot through her again. Ariadne pulled herself closer to the girl, trying to covertly hide behind her. "I saw you across the plaza." She said in way of conversation, her voice pitched low so only the girl could hear. She was close enough that her warm breath stirred the girl's hair - the least she could do was strike up a conversation with her. Besides, Ariadne didn't need to draw attention to herself - like a dancer pushing the thief away for getting too close. "You have a way of drawing the eye. What's your name?" She asked. When in doubt - compliment. Women love compliments. OOCI'm sorry it's so late >.<