Closed A Thief in the Crowd (Otaia)

[Kaie]

90th of Spring, 515 AV
Late Afternoon


Last night had proven to be somewhat a folly while wildly successful. She'd accidentally stumbled upon a lead in the hole-in-the-wall tavern, launching her further along in her hunt for those who led the final attacks on the Scars. The interrogation had been a bloody affair for the novice. At the end of the night, however, her methods had proven successful. She had a place to start, which was far more than she had the day she arrived.

Part of her loathed the moment she found her bladed boots upon the docks of the wretched city. The other, darker half couldn't help but revel in the madness that surrounded her once again. Some memories that found her again were agonizing and bitter. Others left her with a feeling of nostalgia. Most notably, they incited once more the anger that had consumed her from the moment Orvin was slain. Murder had bred within her heart, and vengeance deep within her soul. Those that had set out against her family were about to pay in blood. Dira take her if she fails.

Sunberth had proven as gruesome as ever. It seemed that the warmer weather had brought the most dastardly figures out from their shelters to continue deeds of nefarious nature. At least that's what the corpses along the streets told the Myrian, which were now riddled with wounds rather than emaciated from starvation. Step by step the woman found herself weaving between the crowd, unable to shake the memory of the Sunberth mob that ran her companions and herself out of the city. Her sword hand had returned to its familiar routine and rested on the gladius hilt on her hip. Amber eyes vigilantly scanned the faces that passed by. With her cloak hood thrown over her head, there was little worry the common citizen would be able to pin her tawny extremities to that of a Myrian's.

Her plan of attack was simple: observation. After all, only a fool assaulted their target in public. Especially when the one doing the assaulting didn't want to be particularly noticed. Thus the Myrian had followed her usual habits until she could find herself fully committed. First came the stop at one of the lesser known taverns in the city. Her first drunken visit had proven fruitful enough. It only seemed logical an excuse to see if lightning indeed struck twice. Next came a comfortable amount to drink, and then the woman was well on her way to the Castle Commons. All the while her savage mind was focused on one man in particular.

Tua Scully.

[Otaia]

By now, Otaia knew where potential victims of theft could be found. One such place was outside a certain tavern, from which all manner of drunken folk could spill. It was with this thought in mind that Otaia contemplated the recieving of a few extra Mizas. The kelvic wound through the crowds, until the entrance of the place she'd had in mind entered her field of vision. She strode toward it, before stopping a good distance away, so as to blend in with the crowds milling around her.

Otaia scoured the door to the small hole-in-the-wall, carefully studying each person for the telltale signs of intoxication. It took a few chimes before her eyes fell upon a figure in a brown cloak, turned the other way. Although she wasn't about to collapse, the woman had evidently had a few drinks. Hopefully that would be enough to make theft relatively simple. At least the stranger didn't seem too threatening.

The kelvic made an effort to look as nonchalant as possible whilst she strode up to the woman. Although, the stranger was facing the other way, so it wasn't all that necessary. Otaia's eyes darted toward the pocket in the woman's cloak.

Just let your hand slip in and out, grabbing a few coins, the kelvic mentally prepared herself, going over the motions in her head. A single mistake could result in very, very bad consequences. Don't let her notice.

Otaia planned to walk by the woman, and into the tavern, whilst snatching some cash from the woman's pocket.

This, although, was hindered as the stranger began to walk. It was a little harder to rob someone who was walking, rather than standing still. But either way, the stranger seemed like an easy target, and Otaia ignored the bad feeling she had about this theft.

She slipped her hand into the woman's pocket, feeling for a coin or two.

[Kaie]

The Myrian was tipsy. There was no mistaking that. The alcohol had fizzed through her veins happily as it usually had a tendency to. It killed some of her nerves, suffocated the thoughts of people and events in Zeltiva she didn't have the luxury of forgetting temporarily before. It was just enough to calm her hate-fuel enough where she was confident she could function like a normal person hanging around the Establishment.

She couldn't afford to have her target become suspicious over her behavior. Murderous stares had to be kept at a minimum. If anything, she had to be just another citizen overly curious in the city gossip, or another rowdy mercenary awaiting word on a job. The trick, the Myrian decided, would be keeping her head down. The only other thing she had to look out for, other than people who might recognize her, would be the itching fingers of greedy thieves that ran amuck in such crowded areas. She turned down a corner in search of a more direct route.

Kaie's stroll was rather care-free. Bladed boots were nonchalant in their pace. Her hood tugged over her head made her anything but a notable figure. She was anonymous again. Another faceless woman in the street. It was just how she always liked it. What she didn't like was the sensation she felt when she gave a tug at her cloak to pull it closer around her. It was only then that she felt the fingers fishing. Jaw set, teeth ground in fury, and before even she knew what she was doing, the woman had turned on her heel with balled fists. With her left hand up in a guard, her right made a vicious swing at the face of the one would dared make a go for her coin.

[Otaia]

The kelvic's fingertips brushed against a Miza. Just as she was about to pull her hand out of the stranger's pocket, she felt a tug on the pocket. Shyke.

As the woman whipped around, Otaia's first instinct was to run. The stranger's hands were curled into fists, both prepared to strike her at any moment. Otaia turned quickly, ready to flee. But as she turned her head, the other woman lifted her fist, the punch hitting Otaia's nose and stopping any chance of running. If the kelvic knew anything about victims who fought back, it was that they almost always gave chase.

Otaia ignored the throbbing in her nose, but she could feel the stream of blood trickling towards her upper lip. She didn't want to fight, mostly because she was aware that she was horrible at it. So, instead, she tried to apologize. "Sorry, shouldn't've done that." The kelvic knew she must've come across as strange, suddenly apologizing after trying to snag a Miza from the woman's pocket. She just hoped the stranger wouldn't throw another punch.

Otaia silently scolded herself,angry at herself for ending up in such a risky situation. If she hadn't found such a tricky person to steal from, the kelvic wouldn't have been in such a situation. You petching idiot. Couldn't you just buy your own food?

[Kaie]

Run. They always try to run, the Myrian thought darkly as the thief turned on her heel in an attempt to escape the punishment that came next. The satisfying impact of her fist against the bridge of the woman's nose attested to the success of her attack, which was confirmed when blood quickly began to trickle from the orifice. A combination of instincts and anger commanded her rise to action. The thief might've been stalled by the blood streaming down her face, but the Myrian would be a fool to wait for her to recover where she might be in a position to swing back. Feet shuffled forward. The bloodied fist returned to the guard while the savage loomed over her target, preparing to execute the next strike to keep the advantage.

Just before she intended to try a solid jab with her leading left fist, the thief did a strange thing. She's apologizing? The Myrian blinked. The guard never dropped, she still bobbed forward and back on the balls of her feet. Deliberation came as she scanned over the frame of the woman, weighing her words. She's a thief. This is a trick. Surely this is a trick. There wasn't too much Kaie knew about thieves. The last one she had the pleasure of knowing caused her far more trouble than what she was worth. Had it not been that one of Amora's attackers was a hated enemy, the Myrian would've had few qualms about letting them teach her a lesson about stealing from strong pockets. Even when the fighting was finished and she had a chance to pick the other woman's brain, her elusive answer about her chosen career path was unsatisfying. Is this woman like Amora? Stealing because it suits her? Because she likes it?

"Sorry that you did it or sorry that my fist found your face for it?" her words came harshly, amber eyes decidedly hard. Both thief and almost-victim knew the answer. Blood continued to dribble down the other woman's face until it reached her upper lip. There were so many thieves in Sunberth. So very many. In Taloba, like she'd tried to convince Zandelia and Fallon, the price for thievery were the loss of a hand. And yet she recalled the mercy offered to the young girl that stole from the merchant's stall the trio had been guarding. The Myrian's internal debate only became more heated, and the savage angrier because of it. "Is sorry supposed to convince me not to beat the petch out of you for stealing almost a season's worth of hard work? This is a piss poor strategy to use on anyone in Sunberth. You do know that?"

[Otaia]

The Kelvic was most definitely at a loss for words. She was sorry she got caught, but Otaia couldn't admit that to the woman, for fear of more pain. She wiped the blood off of her upper lip, trying to come up with something to say. "I.. um, the former, I guess." Otaia figured she should've been honest, because the stranger knew the truth. Maybe it would prevent the stranger from being too harsh.

The blood flow wasn't anywhere near ceasing. The metallic flavor of blood reached the thief's lips, and she once again tried to brush it away.

The kelvic merely nodded as the stranger spoke. Almost a season's worth of hard work? I'd just wanted a few Mizas, she thought. "Yeah, I guess it is." Otaia scolded herself for being such an idiot. She should've just run. I still can, the kelvic reminded herself, but that would be a far more horrible idea than what she'd just done.

Desperately searching for an action to keep from getting her face permanently damaged, Otaia grabbed at the first idea that reached her mind. Act pitiful, seem desperate. It was a desperate, pitiful idea, and would make her look even worse than she was, whether it worked or not. "Look... It's just, um, I was really hungry," Otaia hoped she was being convincing, but was unsure. She put on a desperate, pleading face. "And, I-- I can't afford to buy my own food. Please, just let me go."

OOCIt's quite short, but I believe I've given you something to go off of.

[Kaie]

The thief was more and more perplexing the longer the two were pressed into their peculiar meeting. Most would turn tail at the first punch, dash off any which way while praying their victim wouldn't catch up. Some would've swung back, ignited a scene of utter chaos with an open street brawl. Yet this one in particular stayed put and merely nursed her bloody nose, apologizing. Kaie couldn't decide if she pinned the act for some sort of honesty, conviction, or plain idiocy.

So what are you going to do now?

Her scowl deepened. Pride urged her to continue to beat the woman to a bloody pulp, which would've been easier to undertake had she not obviously surrendered. Besides, what good would it do to beat every con-artist and thief in the city anyway? The unfortunate would always be desperate in the City of Anarchy, always clawing and tugging one another down in their climb up the socioeconomic ladder. The cycle wasn't going to break anytime soon. In any case, there they still were squared to one another in the alley. A decision was still to be made.

"You can try that shyke on your people, but don't pull the hungry card with me. I've hunted and trapped outside this city. I see the netted fish dragged in from Svefra ships off the Docks. You bloody well know as well as I do you picked thievery because it's easy," Kaie growled and lowered her hands from her guard all the same. Pity and sympathy were dead in her eyes. "Easier to pick coins from pockets than learn a trade yourself. I'm foreign, not stupid." Fingers found themselves wrapped around the hilt of her sword out of habit. Your anger isn't going to change her mind. Neither will a petching lecture. Change tactics, Myrian. Amber eyes glance over her shoulder back toward the more populated streets. Predictably, none concerned themselves with the ordinary scene of thrown fists and raised voices. "You can go now, thief...but you'll leave empty handed. Unless you want to earn the coin you tried to steal for me."

Kaie stepped away from the wider opening that provided Otaia's obvious escape. A bronze hand gestured toward it in a grand flourish. "I'm true to my word. Walk away and I won't stop you. If you choose to stay, though, I've got a little job for you if you're really so very desperate and hungry."

[Otaia]

Otaia could only imagine how much she was confusing the stranger. She was desperate to avoid injury, and she knew the stranger before her was aware of this. She was scowling, and Otaia felt she looked quite menacing.

Every single word that was now said lashed out at Otaia like a whip. Not only because it was accusatory, but because each and every thing being said was true.

Of course, the raccoon had wanted to teach herself something, but had never gotten around to it. Although, she knew it would be ridiculous to voice this, because even the raccoon knew it was just an excuse.

Otaia stood in silence, afraid to interrupt the woman's words. She didn't want to do anything to anger her more. The girl was surprised when the stranger, who was extremely menacing, simply let Otaia go. Shocked, the kelvic simply stood there. The woman repeated her offer, leave or work. Her words still stung Otaia, and the kelvic knew she couldn't go to steal from someone else after this ordeal. But hunger growled in her stomach, and the girl figured she should try something else for once.

"I'll work for you."

The Kelvic's nose was bleeding far less, but she yet again wiped the stream from her upper lip. The coppery taste had reached her tongue, and it was quite unpleasant.

[Kaie]

Was it the intrigue of her proposition? The mysterious nature of it? Maybe she just wanted to continue her cooked up excuse, to make it real by taking the Myrian on. Kaie had no real idea what it was that made the woman agree to a job of a nature Otaia was totally ignorant to. Yet the tick she had, the savage's lips curled into a defiant grin. Very well. We're in business. Much of her sanity screamed that her decision had been an utter folly. Rationality couldn't help but loudly advise against bringing a stranger, and a thief no less, into the fold to continue her own agenda. It was a very fragile agenda. There was so little room for error. The thief could turn craven, or worse, turn-cloak, and everything Kaie had been working for could collapse in on itself and leave her naught but a corpse. Yet who better than a common thief to play the role of her little mouse in the corrupted, cutthroat streets? The blood dripping again down the other woman's face gave the Myrian a certain kind of satisfaction that made her question whether or not she was a sadist after all.

"Alright. Looks like we should get to it then," she replied with a firm nod before gesturing the woman to follow and turning on her heel. The Myrian strode forward with caution further into the alley, peered this way, peered that way, and then paused. She spun back to face the woman. "You have a role to play. Easy acting. I'm going to take you somewhere. Somewhere public that you know. There's someone there I'm very curious about. I'd play the part myself but I don't want him to get curious about me. Are you following me so far?" Kaie hoped the answer was a resounding "yes." She was never gifted in the patience department. "I want you to be nothing more than a thief in the crowd. Just another girl in Sunberth wandering around. I want you to do what you do best." Lips curled to reveal a sardonic, toothy grin. Eyes practically gleamed with mirth. "I want you to fit in like everyone else. Then I want you to be a real shyke of a thief. I want you to get caught like I caught you. You probably have questions. I'll give you a chance to voice them before we get started, but we've stayed here too long. Keep close."

Within the bell the pair reached the Castle Commons. Through the various alleys and crowded streets they flitted, weaving here and then until their destination was in sight. It was at that point Kaie stopped suddenly in the shadows of one final alley where the pair could view the scene before them. There was nothing special about the area that day. People came and went, one voice cried out louder than all the others. Nothing was out of the ordinary but the plotters out of view. Kaie's voice lowered to that of a whisper and her predatory stare was fixed from afar on one man in particular. One loud man in particular: Tua Scully. "Take your time. Follow the same routine, whatever it is you do, before you turn a passerby into a victim. I want you to try to steal from the Crier. And I want you to fail." Kaie turned back to look at the woman, gaze meaningful. After all, this was the most important part. "But this time? Run. Make him chase you, lure him out of the crowd. About seventy paces through the opposite alleyway over there..." A bronze finger extended out to point to the path for clarity for a tick before dropped again for the sake of discreetness. "...there's a shack. On the right. Beat up like all the others, windows all smashed it, with a little red flame painted over the doorway. Lead him inside. I'll take care of the rest."

The savage began to move away from the thief to back away into the darkness again. She paused briefly as if suddenly remembering something. Always were shyke at leading, Myrian. She cleared her throat. "I guess now would be that time I said you could ask me a question if you don't understand."

[Otaia]

The kelvic could've easily bought her own food. But her ego couldn't take such a hit as to leave empty-handed, along with what insults the stranger had flung at her. This was why she'd agreed to a job she knew nothing about.

As the dark-skinned woman before her gave Otaia a detailed description of her job, a flurry of questions rose in the Kelvic's mind. She stayed silent, listening and nodding as the woman spoke, punctuated by the occasional "mhmm."

At the sound of "I want you to do what you do best," Otaia paused in thought. If being a thief, and going unnoticed was what Otaia did best, then why had she been caught?

The rest of the walk was spent in silence, Otaia still nursing her bloody nose, although the stream had faded some. The Kelvic was perfectly comfortable with the lack of words being exchanged. The woman-- now her employer... sort of... wasn't the nicest, and it wasn't the time for petty conversation.

But with the silence came thoughts. Thoughts about what the woman had said, more specifically about stealing, not because she was hungry, but because it was easier. You have skills, she told herself, So why do you steal? Otaia could only come up with one answer, and it wasn't one she liked, but rather what the woman had said. She was lazy, not willing to learn a trade and actually work. The kelvic desperately scrambled for a way to justify theft for herself. Theft takes work too. You have to be careful, and... and quiet.

As this silent turmoil ravaged in Otaia's mind, the walk seemed to go by quickly. The two women stopped in an alleyway near the Castle Commons, and the almost-victim continued to describe the job to Otaia.

The kelvic wondered what kind of agenda the stranger had with this man, but figured she wouldn't want to answer. Otaia listened to the rest of the job description, and it seemed quite straightforward. But the kelvic's curiosity couldn't stop addressing what the purpose of all this was. Who was this man? What did the stranger want with him? More importantly, was he dangerous? Would Otaia get hurt agreeing to this job? She began to have second thoughts, fearing for her life. Stop it. You're being irrational.

Finally, when the time to ask questions came, Otaia pried into Kaie's personal life. "I hope you don't mind me asking, but what do you have against him?"