Solo [Job] What's Done in the Dark (Part II)

Like an addict suffering a relapse...Nickolai returns to his old ways.

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This lazy agricultural settlement rests on the swampy shores of the Middle Suvan at the delta of The Kenash River. The River's slow moving bayou waters have bred a different sort of people - rugged, cultured, and somewhat violent. Sprawling plantations of tobacco and cotton grow on the outskirts of the swamp in the rich Cyphrus soils, while the city itself curls around the bayou and spawns decadence and sins of all sorts. Life is slower in Kenash, but the lack of pace is made up for in the excesses of food and flesh in a city where drinking, debauchery, gambling, slavery, and overbearing plantation families dominate the landscape.

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[Job] What's Done in the Dark (Part II)

Postby Nickolai Marin on August 27th, 2014, 11:17 pm

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Summer 62, 514 AV

There was nothing glamorous nor luxurious about the newfound occupation held by the young larcenist. True to the oath he had made to his beloved, Nickolai had ventured out amongst the Dynasties of Kenash in order to seek a more suitable form of employment. By a stroke of sheer luck, his search was exceptionally brief; for he came to earn the role of a personal courier for Lady Adelaide of the Sitai Dynasty. Now, while this had the potential to provide him with an honest source of income, it was the definition of hell upon his body. As a whole, the physical demands of ferrying messages were not too large. Nickolai would simply carry a piece of parchment or commit to memory a message to a destination and then carry back a response.

However, the most obvious downside was the distance he had to travel.

Although the Sitai Plantation was one of the closest to Kenash Proper, Nickolai had to dedicate several chimes daily simply to commuting either way. While not overly difficult in scope, trekking several miles each and every day was absolute murder upon the young larcenists' feet. In fact, he would often limb into the door of his home and immediately soak his "injured" feet in a warm basin of water. Of course, this was the price to pay for making his beloved happy...but what exactly was the cost? Sure, Nickolai claimed to be happy as long as Cecilia was...but deep down inside, there was not even the faintest hint of joy in this newfound occupation. Dealing with the wealthy up close and personal was not exactly the sort of thing that brought a smile to his face; nor did walking several miles in order to serve them.

It was during one evening in particular that the young larcenist had...a relapse of sorts. Like one recovering from an addiction, Nickolai still struggled with the untimely conclusion of his primary occupation. For years, stealing was what put food in his belly and coin in his pockets; and to do anything other than that felt absolutely wrong. What's more, there was always a certain thrill which came with the art of larceny. The racing of one's heart during a heist...the sweat which beaded upon one's palms...the rapid breathing as one frantically picked a lock...All of these things, and more, Nickolai missed. For the young larcenist, stealing was just as much an addiction as it was a source of income. Unbeknowest to him, like any man suffering from an addiction, quitting abruptly was the definition of setting one's self up for a relapse...This day, having only just sunk his feet into the aforementioned basin, Nickolai's attention was primarily upon the frontmost window. His home, one of the many small villas that made up the Terraces, provided an excellent view of the sunset. As if bidding the world a fond farewell, the life-granting orb of warmth descended to its resting place beyond the horizon. In its wake, it left a breathtaking painting in the heavens; one that Nickolai was beyond fond of.

With his arms folded across his chest, the young larcenist watched as the colors began to splash upon the clouds. Rich hues of crimson, magenta, and mandarin came to characterize the heavens; as if celebrating the incoming arrival of the stars. For Nickolai, this time of day was also the most...exciting...for in times past, it was now that he would prepare to venture out in order to practice his craft. However, at present, the sunset only proved to be a dagger aimed straight for his heart. Now, the sight was nothing short of a tease; almost begging Nickolai to act when he knew that he absolutely shouldn't. A deep and solemn sigh escaped the young larcenist's lips and he relaxed all the more into his seat, eventually tearing his gaze away from the beautiful heavens.

"C'mon Nick," he muttered to himself, "you've got a good thing going here...Steady work, a home, and a lovely woman. Don't petch this up man." For a moment, he leaned his head back and ran his fingers through his hair; feeling fully the internal turmoil and indecision. Upon righting himself, he noted his chest in the far corner of the room...and felt yet another stab at his heart. Fueled by sheer temptation, Nickolai rose from his seat and stepped forth from the basin (taking a moment to dry his soaking feet upon a towel before proceeding). With slow, almost cautious movements, he made his way across the room and came to a halt before the chest. Descension gripped him until he halted at a crouch.

His hands outstretched and opened the lid of the chest, revealing a handful of items within. There laid his trusty toolkit, filled to the brim with his lockpicks and other such items...and atop it was his mask. Simply gazing upon its form reminded Nickolai of the joyful expression Cecilia had upon her face when he finally stowed it away...and filled him with guilt as he took it into his grasp. For several minutes, Nickolai began to argue with himself whilst he stared blankly upon his mask. He began to rationalize every reason why he should don that piece of leather and take what did not belong to him. He thought of the corrupt Dynasties and wealthy. He thought of his own hardships. He thought of his aching petching feet...yet, before it was all said and done, there was a disturbance which tore his attention away from his thoughts.

A commotion nearby; one consisting of several raised voice and one that was practically shouting.

This came as a source of confusion for the young larcenist, for the Terraces were the definition of a quiet community. Rising to his feet, he made his way over to his frontmost window and witnessed the sight unfolding before the entrance of a neighboring home. There stood a single man with a duo of women. The first woman was the source of the shouting whilst the other stood meekly by, as if ashamed. "What in the hell is going on..." he muttered, gently stepping away from the window. He then pressed his form flat against the side of the wall, away from view, and slowly reached out his offhand. Awkwardly, his fingers then grasped the bottom of the window and slowly set about sliding it up: thereby admitting within an unmuffled string of dialogue.

Listening intently, Nickolai began to learn something that he did not know about the residents across the way. Apparently there was a husband who was committing adultery with and buying gifts for a harlot, of all things! Now discovered, the wife was ranting, raving, and making threats to return home to Syliras. She also used their unborn child as a threat; lording it over her spouse's head that he'll never be able to see it. Of course, the husband disputed the charges levied against him and the altercation continued for several minutes...until finally the wife stormed off. Apparently she would stay with a friend elsewhere in the city. There was an awkward silence which was then promptly filled by the harlot's own departure; for apparently this was much more than she was being paid for. Finally, the husband himself departed, vowing to drink himself under the table at the Traveler's Complex.

This, Nickolai soon realized, left his neighbor's home unoccupied...with nightfall soon approaching...

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Last edited by Nickolai Marin on August 28th, 2014, 8:34 am, edited 2 times in total.
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Nickolai Marin
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[Job] What's Done in the Dark (Part II)

Postby Nickolai Marin on August 28th, 2014, 7:54 am

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It was almost peculiar how the mind of a larcenist worked. In the instant that the realization dawned upon Nickolai, he began to conceive the rough outline of an entrance strategy. He took into account the similarities of his own home in comparison to that of his neighbor and mulled over what sort of furniture or obstacles he might have to overcome. He also gave thought to the potential return of either spouse...but caught himself in the midst of this train of thought. Shaking his head, Nickolai returned to the comforts of his chair and looked down upon the mask in his grasp. Straightway, the internal turmoil began anew; but this time with a greater vigor. The arguments of love and trust were quickly, and quite brutally, battered down into the depths of obscurity...

...And the young larcenist donned his mask.

Standing tall in the wake of the sunset, Nickolai took a moment to draw the blinds of his home close; thereby covering the room in darkness. Although hazardous to his health due to the threat of tripping, this action held a very finite purpose. With the darkness of evening soon approaching, the sense of sight would be absolutely vital. Nickolai assumed that, due to the fact that there was still natural light present at the moment of the spouses' collective depature, there would not be candles or lanterns burning within. As such, he would need his eyes adjusted to the darkness as quickly as possible; thereby saving him precious seconds to go about pilfering whatever valuables he could. Of course, there were risks associated with this endeavor.

Most notably was the fact that the residence was, quite literally, across the street. If the authorities became involved, there could potentially be searches that could lead to the discovery of his loot. Therefore, Nickolai made a mental note to keep his avarice to an all time low. This time, he would be careful only to swipe a small sum of loot; as opposed to taking the home to the metaphorical "cleaners". In addition to these thoughts, the young larcenist also began to develop an entrance strategem which would commence from the instant of departing his home. In Nickolai's mind, the fact that they were all Freeborn denoted that their total wealth paled in comparison to that of a Dynasty. Therefore, he estimated that the family would not have locks any better than the one affixed to his own door.

Furthermore, there would not be the threat of wandering security within the home or servants...simply emptiness and valuables waiting to be taken. Of course, whilst there was a part of his heart that felt guilt over lying to his beloved, Nickolai never felt so alive. His heart pounded away within his chest, eager for darkness to fall. His palms moistened with sweat just out of sheer anticipation. However, this would not do for such an operation; for allowing one's emotions to get the better of them would lead to something fatal: mistakes. This was a lesson drilled into the young larcenist's head from the one who had instructed him in the "fine art" of larceny. In order to pull off operations such as breaking into a home, a thief had to be calm, collected, and absolutely focused.

Taking these lessons to heart, Nickolai began to bring himself to a state of focus and calm. As he roamed about his domicle, readying his tools upon his person and conceiling them behind fabrics, he took several deep breaths. These slow inhalations brought his thundering heart to a slower pace and afforded him a greater clarity. For several minutes, he simply paced about the darkness of his home (careful not to break his neck in the process) until the shadow of night had fallen. At that moment, it was time to begin. By now, the young larcenist's eyes had adjusted to the darkness and were perfectly capable of making out the forms of his furniture against the black. Satisfied in this fact, he made his way over to the front door and lowered himself into his "prowler's crouch".

As typical, this simple stance afforded him the benefit of intentionally slower movement; in addition to being lower than the typical line of sight. Here, he had a better chance of blending in as opposed to standing tall. With the utmost care and quiet, Nickolai prowled his way to his own door and slowly turned the knob; careful not to make any unnecessary noise. He then opened it just enough to slip out and admitted himself outside. Repeating the action, the young larcenist silently closed the door behind him and took a moment to check his surroundings. There were no prying eyes in the adjacent windows, nor patrons wandering up or down the path. The coast was clear and the heist was ready to begin. Of course, having taken such care to be quiet in his exit, Nickolai did not need to worry about witnesses "hearing him leave" his home.

No one would be the wiser.

Taking into consideration where the light fell from the nearest lantern, Nickolai began the process of hugging the shadows. Sure, it would be easier to simply walk up to the front door and pick the lock; but that came with the risk of being spotted by the wandering eyes of neighbors. Instead, the young larcenist would take extra caution in proceeding. With ginger steps upon the ground, careful not to cause any noise in his procession, Nickolai quietly moved from shadow to shadow. In truth, this took him in a sort of zig-zag pattern across the way; yet ultimately resulted in his arrival at the frontmost wall of his neighbor's home. Fortunately enough, the light did not fall upon this spot, nor the front door, so proceeding would be simpler.

However, Nickolai did not allow this "ease" to lower his guard nor lessen his caution. Instead, he maintained his crouch and stood upon the tips of his toes; thereby allowing him to peer inside of his neighbor's front window. Eyes unadjusted to the darkness would not have seen anything upon looking within...but Nickolai was able to clearly make out different furniture and even the presence of a painting. True to his estimation, there were not any sources of illumination present within the home. Furthermore, Nickolai did not make out any movement within the home; not from another resident or pets of any sort. Indeed, he was in the clear to proceed; and promptly did so. Sidestepping to the right, the young larcenist came to a halt just outside of the front door and reached for the tools he had placed within his belt.

In particular, he produced a lockpick and a prying knife before holding them aloft. With the utmost care, he began the process of picking the lock by inserting the lockpick into place. He then moved it about in a semi-circle; allowing himself to get a feel for the internal structure of the piece. Once this was accomplished, he adjusted the position of the lockpick once more before inserting the prying knife. Mimicking the motion of a key, he began to slide the pick and knife in tandem to one another; attempting to turn the lock. However, despite being initially able to move the lock...it halted about halfway through. This then called for a re-adjustment of the lockpick, which Nickolai promptly made. This time, when tested with the tandem motion, the lock slide fully into the open position; thereby allowing the young larcenist to proceed.

Just as he had done before to the entrance of his own home, Nickolai opened the door just wide enough to slip within. He made absolutely certain not to make any unnecessary noise in doing so; and almost sighed in relief when the door did not produce a creak. He then admitted himself within the home and promptly closed the door behind him. Reaching up, the young larcenist then returned the door to its "locked" position; thereby giving him a pair of benefits. First and foremost, in the event of the return of a resident, he would be able to hear the jingling of keys and know that they were present. This would afford him precious seconds to find some sort of cover or an exit. Second, this would give the residents no notion of his presence there; for a locked door meant everything was (supposedly) in order.

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Nickolai Marin
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[Job] What's Done in the Dark (Part II)

Postby Nickolai Marin on August 28th, 2014, 8:28 am

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Now within the confines of his neighbor's home, the heist was set to begin. Just as he had done numerous times before, his steps thenceforth were the definition of ginger. This was due to the fact that the floors of the house were composed of wood; and thereby were prone to creaking in certain places. Now, while there was not a sleeping patron present within the house, Nickolai did not want to take any chances and risk a neighbor hearing a misplaced creak. Therefore, the young larcenist placed one foot carefully in front of him and tested the floorboard by placing a small sum of weight on it. If there was no creak, he continued until his heel touched down. If there was a creak, he slowly, but swiftly, removed his foot and tried elsewhere.

All the while, the young larcenist had continued his half-crouch. This time, he made certain that his stance was lower than the height of the windows which characterized the home; thereby making certain that a glance inside would not betray his movements. Sure, his attire was intentionally dark in order to blend in with the darkness; but one never knew who was watching and if they had a lantern or torch. As such, Nickolai proceeded with the mindset of being safe over sorry. As the young larcenist made his procession through the home, he began to contemplate what exactly he would pilfer tonight. In keeping with his initial plan, the young larcenist allowed his eyes to sweep over the tops of the furniture; intent on finding a jewelry box or otherwise.

He would not go for anything large, for that would be easily identifiable.

After a few moments of diligent search, he happened upon the unmistakable form of a strongbox. It was not located in plain sight, but instead was situated upon one of the lowermost shelves of the bedside dresser. Nickolai almost missed it against the black of the room, but was able to make out the curviture of the small chest through squinting. Once identified, the young larcenist continued his process of gingerly testing the floorboards until he had arrived before his target. Now came the "fun" part; for the young larcenist was not exactly accustomed to breaching the locks of such small chests. However, a lock was a lock and he would be a poor larcenist if he couldn't get into a small strongbox. Once more procuring his pick and his knife, Nickolai began the process anew.

Like before, he inserted the pick and scouted the lock...before realizing the difference in structure. This was no average, nor above average lock. No, this one was far beyond that which he could crack in a timely manner. Hell, by his estimation, the spouses must have shelled out a solid chunk of mizas for the bloody thing; and thereby left him with only a single option. Nickolai would have to find the key. With a solemn exhale, the young larcenist then began to make a decision. If he went for it and began searching for the key, there was the possibililty of overstaying his unwelcome and getting caught. However, if he left now...he'd always question whether or not he could have pulled it off. Being the "prideful" creature that he was, the young larcenist opted to go for it...and thereby stowed his tools upon his belt.

He then took a moment to review that which he had overheard during the scuffle earlier. The husband was going to the Complex to drink, and therefore would probably sleep there. The wife claimed to be headed to a friend's, which was fine...but what soon struck him was the realization that she lacked any overnight clothing in her departure (that he knew of at least). This meant that there was the potential of an unexpected return for such things; thereby making time of the essence. "Alright, where would I put a key..." he thought to himself whilst allowing his eyes to sweep over the furniture once more. First, he thought of the obvious "hiding in plain sight" tactic and focused his attention upon the walls. Nickolai took a few moments to search for a hook upon which keys could be placed...but to no avail.

This left only two options: drawers or shoes.

Taking the latter of the choices, due to the ease, Nickolai gingerly made his way over to the bed and lowered himself a touch more. He reached out and grasped the first duo of shoes before turning them over, one by one, over his waiting palm. This turned up fruitless and he repeated the endeavor thrice. Of course, he made absolutely certain to return each shoe to its rightful position; lest the occupants be alerted to something being out of place. About to lose hope in this particular choice, lady luck then smiled upon the young larcenist. With the fourth shoe came a single key, thereby causing a grin to form upon Nickolai's lips. Moving over to the strongbox, Nickolai then inserted the key and gave it a turn...and felt his heart skip a beat out of sheer excitement.

For the lock turned and opened! Excellent!

Leaving the key within the hole, Nickolai then raised the lid of the strongbox and peered within its confines. There was certainly a hefty sum of mizas within the box, in addition to the glittering form of jewelry. Now came the part where he decided how much to steal...and in order to make this decision, he took a moment to look back at the shoe from which the key originated. 'Twas a boot, a man's boot, denoting that the strongbox may have been the husband's responsibility. Now, while this was completely a guess, it did afford Nickolai the opportunity to put his eavesdropping to "good use". From this assumption, he then assumed that he could take a small sum and rest assured that it would be blamed upon the husband; for after all he was a lecher who bought gifts for a harlot!

As such, Nickolai ran his gloved fingers over the contents for a moment before plucking forth a what appeared to be an ornate pendant. For only a moment, he inspected the piece in his hand: allowing a small smile to form. It was beautiful and obviously valuable...At once, he then opened his belt pouch and deposited the piece within. He then reached into the strongbox and secured a palm full of Mizas before adding them to the pouch as well. Then came the process of returning everything to how it once was. First, he "muted" the pouch by adding a simple, wadded up handkerchief within. While this would not totally keep the coins from jingling, it would be an immense help. Nickolai then closed the strongbox and turned the key; thereby locking it once more. With purposeful, ginger steps, he prowled the span of the room and returned the key to the same boot from whence it came; then returned said boots to the bed.

Finally, the young larcenist made his final voyage across the house and silently unlocked the door. He then opened it just far enough for him to slip out before taking a moment to re-lock the door from within. With the utmost care, he slid the door to a silent close and once more resumed his prowl into the shadows. From shadow to shadow, he moved, careful to avoid any sort of exposure to the street lantern. After those moments of travel, he finally arrived at his own door and admitted himself within; this time utilizing his own key. He did not rise nor admit himself within normally, but remained crouched until he was inside and the door locked behind him. At that moment, he slid off his mask and belt pouch before depositing them into his chest. He then set about removing his tools and stowing them as well.

There would be time to count the spoils of his conquest...but his beloved would be returning home soon. And like any lover doing wrong, Nickolai was intent to provide her the illusion that he had kept his word.

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I am the Master of my Fate...I am the Captain of My Soul.
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Nickolai Marin
Survivalist.
 
Posts: 124
Words: 117735
Joined roleplay: July 27th, 2014, 7:18 pm
Location: Zeltiva, Sylira
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[Job] What's Done in the Dark (Part II)

Postby Vice on September 11th, 2014, 11:00 am

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Nickolai Marin :
Skills
  • +2 Larceny
  • +1 Stealth
  • +3 Observation
  • +1 Planning

Lores
  • Thrill of the Heist
  • Addiction: Stealing


Thread Consequences and Loot:

One bronze pendant with a jade stone.
6GM, 2CM
-1 Lockpick (Cracked from withdrawing it from the chest rather excitedly)

Consequence: Kleptomania.

Nickolai will begin to feel an uncontrollable urge to steal objects of value. This may or may not materialize instantly, but will without fail manifest powerfully. Plans may begin to fill his thoughts when an object of value or a rather juicy mark crosses his path, meticulous plans and ideas forming in his mind. If he goes for tens of days without stealing, it will begin to distract him to the point of complete apathy and laziness.


If you have questions, comments, or concerns, please send me a PM, and we'll discuss my reasoning behind why the grade given was received. Please make sure to edit any posts in the grading queue to 'graded' and update your CS as soon as possible. Enjoy! ^.^
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Vice
Pick yer' poison~
 
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