Closed Picking the Wrong Mark

[Julius Starr]

Julius had feared that Brandon's food would get cold before the man arrived, if he came at all. His fears were wasted, though, as Brandon showed up earlier than he had expected; the man was definitely wary of being arrested or betrayed, but the promise of a meal was too much to keep him away. In fact, the sight of a steaming meal with his name on it seemed only to inflame the man's sarcasm. Everything this man did or said seemed targeted at Julius' nerves, hoping to flay or even break them. What had he done to evoke such ruthless and unrelenting torment? It wasn't him who tried to rob the other; he was the victim, yet he felt to be the enemy. "Of course I knew you'd come, Brandon," Julius said casually as he sipped his ale. "You're not the kind of man who turned down gifts." Was this really a gift, though? Julius pondered this as Brandon became acquainted to the mug of ale before him. To a point, he had given the man freedom. And this meal was coming out of his pocket, too. He wasn't asking the man to pay for any of it . . . well, unless the information he sought was recompense for this. No Julius thought as he took another sip its a gift as well. We're exchanging gifts today. Freedom for a story. The man spoke up again, speaking of the inquiry Julius had made about the origins of his name. Listening to the man, Julius couldn't help but shake his head in mild annoyance. This man had a way of saying so much, yet saying nothing at all. Julius had to look deeper, though; he needed to look between the words at the real meaning. For starters, Julius didn't believe Brandon knew his parents very well, the way he spoke of them. Oh, he could've grown up with them or he could've never met them at all; that much Julius couldn't discern by the man's words. Julius felt his parents had their secrets, just as Brandon did now, but he doubted one of them was a Myrian heritage. Brandon definitely didn't look the part; he was too short, for starters, and his skin was too pale. And the whole comment about "leaving one option" . . . what the hell did that even mean? The pair had fallen silent, with Brandon staring at his food and Julius staring at him. When Brandon asked if they could begin the lunch, Julius replied with a simple "Of course." With that, the pair dug into their meals. Julius spooned up the rice first, which had been soaking in the juice from the goat, flavoring the usually bland rice. After that came the goat, which seemed to melt in his mouth. A simple meal, really, but delicious all the same to someone who hungered like Julius hungered. Between bites, Julius put Brandon to the question again. "Alright, Brandon, you have what I promised. Food, drink, the freedom to walk away from all of this, unscathed . . . you have it all. Now I ask that I get the story I asked for." Julius wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, buying him time to consider his next words. He had concluded that Brandon needed prodding towards everything. Even then, Julius felt he needed to give just a little bit more. "Tell me why you steal, Brandon, and I will tell you why I steal," Julius said, softly, as he put an onion into his mouth. Even cooked, it crunched between his teeth.

[Brandon Blackwing]

x

After the affirmative reply, the bat started shoving food in his mouth, brought there by a loaded fork performing its duties very well. The thief didn’t bother to speak another word, his main concern was to make his complaining stomach shut up. There wasn’t much to it really, one bite of the tender meat was enough to stop it and his mouth was flooded with even more saliva. The onions were delicious too, something he hadn’t expected. There was still a bite to them, contrasting nicely with the meat that crumbled when it was laid on his tongue. And the rice, oh, the rice!

Instead of tasting like rice should, dull, the flavours flowed richly out of it when chewed. The bat guessed that it was because the juices from the rest of the meal, that had been placed on top of it, had done that to the white grains. Every bite he gulped down evoked the wanting for more, so good it was, and needless to say the bat enjoyed every tick of it. Another part of the meal sled down his throat, he opened his eyes, a bit surprised as he couldn’t remember closing them but that didn’t matter. Nothing except himself and the lunch did right now.

Of course, this couldn’t last forever, and at one point or another the silence surrounding both of them had to be broken. It was Julius who did, pointing out that the food and drink he was currently enjoying and his unharmed person sitting here had been made possible by his good will. He, even though he didn’t put it like that, demanded to hear the bat’s story. Brandon swallowed the mouthful he had been chewing and carefully laid his cutlery down. “The story you asked for, huh? I don’t know if I can give you that, Juli, as what I tell you might not satisfy you.”

Yet, the other man made a last effort to make him change his mind. It hadn’t been necessary as Bran would have told him anyway, though now it was a lot clearer what exactly the guy wanted to know. Plus, he’d revealed himself to be a thief as well, willing to go into detail about his motives for stealing if the bat would do the same. The goateed thief shrugged and raised his mug to his lips taking a gulp before placing it back and wiping his lips with the back of his hand.

“Alrighty then, I guess I’ll tell you. But don’t hold it against me if my story doesn’t answer to your expectations, since the truth is more often than not less spectacular than the fantasy. It’s your choice though.” Brandon lifted and let his shoulders come down in a shrug again. “But as persistent as you are for wanting to hear me tell my tale, I guess I’ll oblige. It’s not that it’s such a big deal anyway.” He paused for a couple of chimes thinking where to start.

He coughed in his fist to signal that he was about to begin. “Once upon a time there was … well ... er … me. I never planned on becoming a thief when I came here, but well, I had no money and all the like. Actually I had nothing but this scarf.” He stroked the black shawl lovingly. “I realized I needed some coin, to buy clothes and food, though since I didn’t, and still don’t, have any real skill in craftsmanship, and I don’t like boring jobs , I became a thief. Just like that.” He took a sip of his ale to rehydrate his mouth and continued.

“That’s about it, I think. Well, are you happy now? I guess my story was rather disappointing to you, but I did give you a warning, didn’t I?”

x

credit goes to Euthisa

[Julius Starr]

A shrug. Julius had pushed, prodded, and guided the man towards his desires. He had spared the man, fed him, shown him kindness where others would've shown him the Shinya He had revealed a secret about himself that only his parents, a few close friends, and the gods knew. All of that, repaid with a shrug? Julius thought the man would've been surprised, curious, emotional. Instead, he gave an excuse of a worthless story and a shrug. Had he assumed the reason behind Julius' interest, or did the prospect of another thief just not interest him? Why didn't he find it as ironic as Julius had, a thief stealing from another thief? With this declaration out the way, Julius was certain his enthusiasm was obvious. It wasn't everyday that Julius met an individual who shared the same ideals as him. Lhavit was an overall "safe" city, at least compared to what it had fallen into a decade ago. Oh, there were countless political intrigues between the upper echelon, but murderers, rapists, and thieves were largely unrepresented in the city's population. Julius was certain there were others out there, but they knew how to hide better than Brandon. Through all of Brandon's blustering and warnings of the pitiful story to come, Julius sat silent. For such a vocal individual, he seemed reluctant to reveal his past. Granted, it was a hard question to answer. By telling his story, Brandon was admitting that he was in fact a thief, both to himself and to the world. Some people who stole probably didn't consider it stealing, so maybe Brandon was afraid of facing reality. The question was, was Julius himself ready? Did he consider himself a thief, too? Was he finally admitting his own guilt too? Julius chewed over this realization while Brandon told his story. It wasn't far off from the own identity he had formulated for the man. Stealing was human nature when your life was on the line, or at least that's how Julius felt. He doubted the original Lhavitians could claim innocence on that count, so he couldn't judge Brandon for doing the same. Julius was no Seiza, no god to judge man. So at the end of the tale, he only nodded. “Must’ve been freezing coming up to Lhavit with nothing but a scarf,” he said softly as he sipped his drink, formulating a reply. “Did you know that the city was founded on survival, Brandon? I wasn’t there, of course, but I have no doubt some of the things those survivors did then would be frowned upon in this day and age. Stealing to live is better than stealing to steal, of which I am guilty.” Julius paused as he took another bite of his meal. It was about half gone by this point, he noted in his silence. “I honestly couldn’t tell you when I stole the first time. I used to attend the parties of the wealthier individuals of this city to mix their drinks and laugh at their jokes. It was at one of these parties when a rather intoxicated man told a joke to my mother that I didn’t find funny. I took the offense to heart, along with two bottles of his whiskey brought in from Kenash. My friends and I toasted the man the next night as we celebrated over his loss.” Julius smiled at the memory, at the sweet victory he had achieved that night. He sipped his ale once more, and for a single moment, it tasted like that whiskey. “I told myself I’d only steal from others who deserved it, people who slighted my mother or I. A thief with values, oh the irony in that. But really, I was only sating my own desires. I was never really happy unless I walked out of one of those parties with bulges hidden beneath my cloak. Nothing exited me more than telling the unconscious bigots that I was taking home a bonus for my hard work, with only a grunt or a snore in response.” Julius looked at Brandon. “That’s why I steal, Brandon. I steal because I enjoyed it.” A pause, another bite of food. “Do you love it as well, Brandon? How much? Enough to continue as you are, a hit or miss business, always staying stagnant? Or do you wish to go places with it?” Julius didn’t quite know where he was going with this, but he felt like it needed to be said.

[Brandon Blackwing]

x

“It was rather cold yes.” the bat said amused with a smile on his lips, while he picked up the cutlery once more and began stuffing his mouth full with delicious rice, the only part of his meal that was left. It had vanished way too quickly, he wanted to capture the tastes on his tongue longer, but alas he failed. “I never imagined that it would be so darned cold up here, but the cold I felt then is nothing compared to the freezing temperatures torturing us this season.” Now the rice on his plate had diminished to few grains with some juice and he tried to get all of the small leftovers on his fork. It was too good to let them go to waste.

Meanwhile Julius had started talking again, speaking of times long past, of when the city was founded and of the difference in morals the people living in that era and in the present had. The thief groaned on the inside. History lessons? Gods stand him by. He wasn’t here for such shyke, though he had to admit it was a better way of introducing his story than the bat had.

From what the man told him, the bat could guess that Julius was a bartender, who else mixed drinks at parties? More so, what other occupation could one have that they could attend parties of wealthy people? But the story continued, and the bat caught himself imagining the scene as he was drawn in to the tale. A grin perched itself on his face, his onyx orbs growing with sparks of malicious pleasure, he couldn’t help but chuckle at the mention of the toast. Oh, what a sweet revenge that must have been! Julius himself had a smile on his face as well, his thoughts enveloped in the memory, the here and now was distant for him.

An inquiry followed on the story, aiming for … something, but the bat couldn’t tell what. What did the man in front of him mean with ‘go to places with it’? He raised an eyebrow inquisitively, took a sip of his ale and with his lips still at the rim of his mug he replied to the first part of the question. “Do I love stealing? Ha! That might as well be the funniest thing I’ve heard since I’ve first arrived here!” Sarcasm weighted heavy on his words.

He placed his mug down, and tried his best to give Julius a straight face. “Do I love it, he asks!” he muttered. “No Julius, I cannot say that I do,” A brief pause for the effect and then he continued “That would be an understatement. There is no word that can describe how much I enjoy what I do. It excites me, it frightens me, it makes me feel alive. The feeling of satisfaction I feel when I manage to enter one’s house, how great I feel when I manage to claim someone’s purse as mine.”

Another pause, but this time it was so he could take a breath. He was all fired up, his grin had widened, his voice was a hushed, fast paced flow of words. “How great it is to unpack the bag of loot thrown over my shoulder, to stow my personal trophies away. The anticipation when I imagine the faces of my targets when they realise someone stole their stuff while they were away, or even better, when they were napping or trying to and didn’t suspect in the least that I was sneaking around in their presence. When I can see the look that must have showed on their faces when they notice the culprit had the audacity to enter by using the front door!”

“It’s not love, it’s passion! I cannot think of a word that can describe all that, but passion will do. But enough about me, what do you mean with ‘go to places with it’ Julius the bartender?” There was no sharp edge to his words as there had been with the previous nickname. Brandon hated to admit it, but after the other thief’s story he had opened up to him, the tale had warmed his heart and he could perfectly imagine how the man must have felt at the times depicted in said story. To his surprise there was no denying that he had begun to like the guy.

x

credit goes to Euthisa

[Julius Starr]

Brandon was like the fountain in Springwater Square; just when you thought he had run dry, more shot out of no where. Of course, this was all figurative, a fabrication of the educated mind as he listened silently to the man speak. He wasn't firing off water, like the fountain did, but sarcasm. Ever since they had had their fateful meeting back in the crowd, the man has laced every other word with satire. Others might of called it arrogance, but to Julius, it was nothing but an extension of the man's personality. In fact, Julius would've felt off if Brandon didn't use sarcasm in his words. He barely knew the man, yet this whole conversation would've felt off had they both approached it with serious tones and dull words. Thus, as Brandon led him this way and that with his words, Julius sat silently, picking at his meal, tasting the food and savoring the man's passion. That truly was the best way to describe the man and theft. The man was describing how he felt when he stole, but really he was just putting to words Julius' own feelings. Excitement, fright, satisfaction . . . Julius had felt them all in the past. He had always waited when the guests were drunk, but there was always the chance of getting caught by them. And his mother . . . she was the hardest to fool sometimes, but somehow he always got away. He made off with the goods, knowing that in the near future he would get to reap the rewards. But he always knew that he'd be drunk before then; drunk on happiness. Brandon himself used the term passion to sum it all up, to which Julius nodded. He noticed that the man's plate was near empty, his own not far off. The meeting was coming to a close faster than Julius had expected. But before they parted ways, he probably should answer the man's question. Before he did, though, he took one final sip of his ale. It too was nearly gone, but he knew exactly where it had went. The throbbing of his head told him exactly where it had went. All the while, he pondered the man's question. What did he mean by 'go places with it?' Quite honestly, this was a difficult question to answer because he truly didn't have a plan. He hadn't stolen since his mother kicked him out of the house, with little reason to steal again. Oh, it had crossed his mind once or twice. There had been a few drunks at the Demise that had deserved their purses lightened, but he had controlled himself in those few instances. He was no professional, devoting his life to the art; he wasn't even sure if he'd want to devote his life to it. But would he honestly tell this man that, after they had both admitted their love for it all? Nope. Instead he spooned in one final pile of rice, following by a final wipe from the napkin to get the grease and juice off of his lower lip. "Quite honestly, Brandon, I don't know where I'm going to go with it. I may steal tomorrow, a year from now, or never again in my life. I may stick with a little bottle of liquor every once in a while, or I may hit one of the Towers for the treasures they have hidden away. All I can say is this: if something interesting comes up, I'll seek you out." The final words came out of no where, but he rolled with them. The thought of meeting the man again, even working with him, was something that had peaked his interest; he had never had a partner to work with before. "I find crime to be too sporadic, too random, too alone. Working with others is what they taught you in school, right? Group effort outweighs individual effort? I mean, who says that can't be applied to this as well? I say it can, personally. Not that we're the ones to actually do it. Just that it can." The time had finally come, the parting of the two men. The stories had been exchanged, the ideas for the future presented. It was time for them to step away and considered all that had transpired this day. Thus, Julius rose to his feet, reaching into his pocket to pay for the meals. While he did this, he looked down at Brandon. "In case something does come up, I'll need to know where to find you. Got a place you're staying at right now, in case I do seek you out?" Julius fumbled in the purse for the money, pulling out the right amount in silence. Setting it on the table, he waited for the reply that would be the catalyst to his departure.

[Brandon Blackwing]

x

Julius didn’t speak for a while after Brandon had finished his rant, guarding the newfound silence, letting the words settle in his mind perhaps, and taking his time to think about the question he’d asked. It occurred to the bat that his partner had a hard time finding the words to reply, maybe he actually didn’t have an answer on it. Maybe it was just something that had slipped from his tongue, something he hadn’t been intending to say, something he’d never even had thought about. Until now. Brandon really wanted to know, it sounded promising, like becoming a travelling thief, one notorious for his skill, the thief everyone wanted to hire. Yes, it was something he’d like to be, as it was a combination of his dream and passion.

However, the man in front of him openly admitted not knowing what he meant with it. A little disappointing, but oh well, what is not could still be. If that made sense. The final words however made a smile appear on his features, followed by a nod of acceptance. “Please do, I don’t think I’ll pass on the chance of doing something interesting.” He chuckled and took a final sip of his ale, it had all disappeared, as had his meal. This had been too short. Time had flown by, or maybe he’d just eaten fast? He couldn’t really tell.

The bartender went on, now talking about working together, as partners. What school was, Brandon didn’t quite know, but the idea of having a partner was another great one. This guy just kept firing genius thought his way, he was … oddly inspiring. Loneliness was indeed the one thing he didn’t like about his life as criminal. He didn’t mind running, hiding or laying low, but the absence of company… It was like a hollow feeling, a miss of something he’d known before, but not did now.

Though he had a companion, she wasn’t there always and she wouldn’t –no, couldn’t possibly- understand how he felt. No one other than one of his trade could, people of legal profession had no way of knowing, except they had experience of practicing theft. No, a companion was something Brandon yearned for, all Kelvics did, but this was slightly different. He wanted someone he could exchange stories with, laugh at the people’s stupidity, make plans and befriend, truly befriend. Someone who could understand.

Julius seemed to be such a person, and Brandon liked him, he wanted to keep talking to him, know more about him. Sadly, time had come to say goodbye, and the only one in Lhavit who he had enjoyed being near despite having been bested by him was on the brink of leaving, placing the amount of money needed to pay for the meal they’d enjoyed together on the table. One thing still kept him here, Julius wanted to know where to find him, something that made Bran anticipate next time they’d meet maybe the man would have a job for him, though he’d be glad just to meet this interesting figure again sometime.

“Come to the southern outskirts of Zintia peak, night is the time you’ll have the most chance running into me, though even by day you can find me, albeit a little more complicated pinpointing my location as I like to take strolls and don’t stay too long in one place. Stick around when Leth comes in and Syna leaves -or the other way around, and your chances of finding me are at its highest.” He gave him a playful smile and stood up, offering the man his hand. “May good fortune befall you, Julius Starr, and may ‘The Silken Mask’ guide your path and hands … like She occasionally guides mine.” He grinned, pointing briefly and subtly at his extra pouch. “Well then, until we meet again.” And with that he left, grabbing his coat when he passed it, stepping out into the cold.

x

credit goes to Euthisa

[Julius Starr]

After everything the pair had went through, Julius sensed that trust between the pair still wasn't completely there. Oh, it made sense for Brandon to establish a neutral meeting area for future encounters instead of revealing his own home to the stranger. Plus, Julius hadn't actually provided his own address to the man. Still, he had hoped that the pair had made progress with their strange relationship. What began was an assailant and victim duo had grown into a partnership, if not friendship, all over a meal and stories. Baby steps, Julius told himself. later, if they everything we've discussed has worked out, the friendship will shortly follow. Julius paid little mind to the man's living habits; many in the city were nocturnal, preferring the glow of Leth over the glare of Syna. Julius himself worked the night shifts at the Demise, so he was no stranger to the dark. And Brandon . . . well, he was a thief, so the night was like a best friend to him. Thus, Julius nodded, replying with a simple "Tis a date, then." as he rose with the man. The short thief held out his hand, an odd gesture to Julius; usually Lhavitians bowed to one another, not shake his hands. But as Brandon had stated before, he wasn't born here. Maybe the shaking of hands was a common practice in his own culture. Thus, as a sign of respect towards his beliefs, Julius shook the hand, his grip awkward, his inexperience at the motion obvious. Brandon's parting words surprised Julius. The pious undertone to the words wasn't something Julius had expected to here from the man; he had taken the man as an agnostic. It made sense, though, for a thief to hold homage towards the mother of thieves. Julius made no verbal reply to it, his only acknowledgment to the words being a nod of the head. Oh, his eyes widened a little at the second coin pouch at the man's waist, his glance diverting to assure himself that it wasn't his own pouch; that action, though, had nothing to do with the comment on Yshul. After Brandon had gone, Julius was still pondering over the comment. Julius had obviously looked into Yshul in the past, especially after he began stealing. Did she actually guide him, though, or did she just watch as another mortal tried to mirror her in their actions? Julius had never asked her to do anything in his life, that was for sure; for the man who loved the concept of worship, he did very little of it himself. So had the goddess even taken notice of this little peon in the corner of the world, let alone guided him towards anything? Julius still hadn't decided as he collected his own cloak and exited the tavern, the door returning softly back in place. End

[Catastrophe]

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Julius Starr :

Skills

• Observation: 3 XP
• Planning: 1 XP
• Socialization: 5 XP
• Leadership: 1 XP
• Intimidation: 1 XP
• Rhetoric: 2 XP
• Storytelling: 1 XP
• Interrogation: 2 XP

Lores

• Lhavit: Alheas Park
• Fright: Helping Prevent Being Stolen From
• Lhavit: The Shooting Stars Inn
• Brandon: A Passionate Criminal
• Justice: The Art of Stealing from those who Deserve it
• Brandon: Not a Myrian but a Poor Soul
• Catching a Thief before they've Stolen

Loot

• -6 kina

Brandon Blackwing :

Skills

• Acrobatics: 1 XP
• Running: 1 XP
• Observation: 3 XP
• Larceny: 2 XP
• Socialization: 5 XP
• Acting: 2 XP
• Storytelling: 1 XP
• Rhetoric: 1 XP

Lores

• Acrobatics: Wall Running
• Lhavit: The Shooting Stars Inn
• Acting: Playing the Part of a Fool
• Giving out a Name Promotes Bad Outcomes
• Julius: A Man who Steals from Wrong-doers
• Being Caught Stealing by Another Thief
• Julius: An Intriguing and Possible Accomplice

Loot

• +3 kina from stolen coin purses

Notes :

Wonderful thread guys! I enjoyed reading how both of you perceived each other through the eyes of your 'professions'. I hope I see more of this nicely done work in future threads!

If you have any problems with your grade, don't hesitate to private message me!

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