It Takes a Thief [Jiina]

[Isette]

11th Day of Spring, 511 A.V. It had been five days since Isette met Jiina. Still, the feline had not sought her out at the Twilight House. She intended to, but it didn’t feel right yet. Isette didn’t want to look desperate for attention. Besides, she still had a lot to think about. Giving Jiina permission to use her real name had been…significant. Isette wanted to understand what that significance was, what it meant. Why had the two of them connected? Isette did not want to trust another. She didn’t want to carry false hope of something real. So she waited. Five days. She needed to let it all sink in. The kelvic was feeling restless. All this waiting, thinking, analyzing. It was starting to give her a headache. She wanted to just sit back and let instinct take over. She was feeling wild. For once, she wasn’t hungry. She wasn’t trying to survive. Isette had been getting along fairly well as far as food was concerned. But it wasn’t enough. Something inside of her felt wholly…unsatisfied. She walked passed so many different faces, overheard so many different conversations. None of them mattered. Her sense of reality seemed warped somehow. It was surreal. And interesting. She needed to ground herself. Something shimmery caught her attention. Lamplight glinted off of green class, shaped to form a clover wrapped with copper wire. A pendant. It was strung on a strip of green linen. It was just one out of a whole series of pendants, some far more precious and others more common. There was nothing special that made it stand out from the others, but Isette was attracted to it. She wanted it. The feline approached the stall warily. Luck was on her side as the shopkeeper was busy with a customer. But what if someone else was watching her? Quick as can be, her pale fingers snaked out and snatched the pendant and then vanished inside the safety of her blue cloak. She waited for one intense moment, but nothing happened. Still, she was nervous. What if she looked suspicious? Isette didn’t want to look suspicious. Her heart hammered in her chest as she picked up another pendant, slowly, thoughtfully. She examined it as though she were a prospective buyer and then set it down, as casually as she could, shrugged, and walked off. Any second now someone would cry thief and she would be found. Her body tensed, ready to change forms at the first sign of danger.

[Jiina]

oocSorry I took a while. Forgive me? Jiina had spotted Isette long before she had stolen the pendant. She had spent the last five days thinking on Isette, that was true, but Jiina was by no means obsessed with that had happened that other day at the Mhakula Tea House. Isette was an interesting toy, at this point, nothing more. She supposed, if she was entirely honest with herself, she had felt something. There was a twinge of connection, she supposed. An urge to use this girl, much more than she had had for anyone else. But she was a Kelvic - they were made to be used. It was only logical that she had this urge.But Isette was by no means on her mind every minute of every day. The cat was merely ... a side thought, a thought which gave her a little subtle grin that made Taeto irritated at her. Nothing more, nothing less. The cat was walking through Lhavit's back alleys around the plaza by herself, as was Jiina. Jiina needed to get out of the Tower, so she had escaped into anonyminity. She loved Taeto - more than anyone could understand - and she loved the Twilight Family. She loved what they had done for her. But she was ten years younger than Taeto, and he was the youngest there that interacted with her. Sometimes, she needed to get out. And as Taeto said, there was only so much she could do moping around their rooms. So, she left to the Zintia Peak. Walking towards the Surya Plaza, she had to walk through the back alleys to get there, stalls set up on the sides of roads in the dusk light. It was as she walked that she saw the light hit a pair of eyes, eyes that shined like a cat's in the dark. Eyes that very much belonged to the cat that Jiina had gotten to open up to her five days ago. Isette ... Shaychi. She turned suddenly, to look at a stall, keeping her head down. Out of the corner of her eyes, she watched Shaychi walk by. She walked slowly up to a stall, where the older man was arguing with the preteen girl about a bracelet. Jiina could not help but giggle when Isette picked up the pendant and quickly put it inside her cloak. The shopkeeper at Jiina's own stall looked at her askew. Jiina shook her head and moved on, watching with amusement as Isette surveyed the other pendants. Had anyone besides she been paying any attention at all, they would have seen just how nervous Shaychi looked. She began to move away, and Jiina moved quicker, eager to catch up with the Kelvic. She had successfully performed a snatch. Isette's worth increased in spades. Jiina quickly jogged the last few metres seperating them. She walked up beside the cat, and slung an arm around her shoulders. A large grin graced her face - a grin that was not at all calculated. Jiina was wholly amused that her little kitten had sticky fingers. "So, Shaychi. See any pendants she liked?" Jiina poked her tongue out between her teeth, utterly gleeful, like the child who got more presents than their rival brother for their birthday. Hopefully the cat would not scatter at seeing Jiina arrive so suddenly, not that Jiina accused her of stealing. Jiina could in fact not be more pleased.

[Isette]

OOCNo worries. Of course I forgive you! <3

Suddenly, a heavy weight fell across Isette’s shoulders. The kelvic nearly jumped out of her skin and a surprised squeak erupted from her startled figure. She would have shifted. Almost did. But a familiar scent reached her followed closely by a familiar voice. Jiisa—Jiina! Isette caught her balance and fought to regain her composure, but her face was flushed with embarrassment and the use of her real name had thrown her completely off guard. She wasn’t used to it. For the split second before she realized who was handling her so boldly, she had been unsure if she was caught for thieving or if her past had finally caught up with her. “N-no I…I mean, yes, b-but…” Whoa, okay. Slow down. Isette paused a took a breath. It was just Jiina. Jiina was nice. But Isette was conflicted. She wanted to show her prize to her new friend, but didn’t want to admit to stealing it. As nice as Jiina had been, she had admitted herself that she still had the prejudices most Lhavitians were brought up with. And a thief was a thief. Only another thief could look at a thievery with a casual eye. Jiina would surely denounce their friendship. Then again, it didn’t seem like Jiina had been watching that long. Isette didn’t have to say she’d stolen it. Just that she got it. The kelvic hesitated for only a second before nodding. “I apologize. I was startled. I did find something, yes.” Were they far enough away from the stall for her to show the pendant off? Maybe a few more steps just to be on the safe side. It was crowded enough and no one seemed to have noticed her. It should be okay. Besides, she didn’t want to seem like she had something to hide. “I got this,” she said. Isette withdrew the shining emerald colored pendant. Her eyes glinted with pleasure as she looked at it. Isette was not generally greedy, but every once in a while she found something she was completely attracted to. The shop owner wouldn’t miss it. The pendant seemed so insignificant next to all the others. Isette could give it meaning and life. It was hers. Except…Somehow Isette knew that if Jiina asked, she would give it to her. But why would Jiina want it? She must have all sorts of fancy things, living in the Twilight House.

[Jiina]

Jiina could not help but laugh - legitimately - when Isette shrieked. It was merely an arm around the shoulders, and the cat was so jumpy! Showed how nervous she really was. Stealing a pendant could evidently go strange things to a girl. She smiled at the girl, reassuringly, as she blushed and looked to Jiina - evidently initially unsure as to who she was. It was a little disappointing to her that Isette did not immediately recognise her. She shrugged off the disappointment, though. It was just a lowly cat - a Shimobe. A toy, but a dirty toy that probably should have been thrown out a while ago. She did not have any emotional attachment to her whatsoever. She raised an eyebrow at the language Isette chose to use. She was so eager to make herself seem like a good girl. She would never steal, she was too innocent to do such a horrendous thing! Isette would realise soon enough that Jiina applauded her on her catch. "Show me," Jiina commanded. She had no doubt that the Kelvic would do so. She followed the few more steps Isette led them, amused at the girls paranoia, and stopped to the side of the street. Shaychi withdrew the pendant, and Jiina threw a cursory glance at the emerald glean, but merely watched her expression. The pendant was irrelevant. Shaychi could have stolen a petching chair and Jiina would have acted the same way. The girl, the Kelvic, seemed utterly gleeful at her catch. Her eyes glinted and she was evidently enamoured of the pendant. The snatch had been performed well, Jiina had been watching. It seemed only right that the girl would be proud of herself. Jiina was proud of Isette, too. Though she was proud in a different way. She was not proud that Isette had managed to do something well, no, not at all. That would be far too caring of her. No, she was merely gleeful with herself that she had managed to ensnare such a useful pet. Jiina thought how to tackle this. She wanted the girl to know her dominance, but nor did she want to scare her off completely. She affected a smirk - it came naturally, and cocked her head at the Kelvic. "Very pretty, Shaychi," she murmured. "Too bad you stole it. It would be even prettier if you had done the honourable thing and paid for it." There. Jiina had a power over the cat now. If she so chose, she could punish her, let her go, or send her to the Shinya. Anything may happen. Isette just had no clue what that something would be.

[Isette]

OOCI'm sowry this took so long to post! >_<

And just like that everything started to fall apart. Isette felt as though someone had offered her a warm treat and instead dumped a bucket of ice water over her head. She went cold inside, partially from fear and partially from suspicion. Everything seemed to slow down as Jiina made it clear that Isette had been caught. There was a split second of panic where Isette considered denying the claim, but what good would that do? If Jiina had caught her then lying would only dig her into a deeper hole. The fact of that matter was, Jiina had not gotten her in trouble. Which led to the question of why. Isette paused in her walk and looked at Jiina, right in the eyes, studying. Analyzing. There was so much about this stranger she had yet to understand. She had implied that Isette was dishonorable and that she was wrong for being so, but wouldn’t it have been honorable for Jiina to turn her in? There were many things in life Isette did not understand. She was young, naïve, and found humans to be strange creatures. But she did understand instinct. She understood food chains. She understood power. Jiina had it. “What do you want?” Isette asked curiously. She slipped the pendant back into hiding and gazed at Jiina with a calm expression. The fear was gone. If Jiina planned on ratting her out she would have done so already. As for the woman’s agenda, well. That felt irrelevant. Isette was much too curious to be afraid. Jiina had the power and Isette wanted to know what she planned on doing with it. Because that was the tell-all. The way people used power said so much about who they were. It stripped them down to their barest desires. Made them into animals. So what did Jiina want from her? Why was she taking this power and holding it over her head? What desire did she have? Isette was interested in seeing how this played out. She was naïve, yes. Innocent, yes. But she wasn’t stupid. She recognized when she was being dominated. It was inherent within her very nature if she understood her origins correctly. Whether or not she was prepared to accept that dominance remained to be seen. Isette wasn’t prepared for anything yet. She simply waited, watched, and allowed her instinct to guide her. Jiina interested her. That was enough to keep her flight response from kicking in.

[Jiina]

OOCOMG I HATE YOU. Nah, it's fine. Take as long as you need, hun. Jiina smiled as the Kelvic seemed to freeze, a self-satisfied smile. Like the cat who ate the cream, Jiina thought, grinning wickedly. It was really too good. The Kelvic was completely stricken by her news. She looked scared, her body having tightened up, in preperation for that flight-or-fight response so ingrained into animals. Jiina, though, was surprised when she looked straight into her eyes. It was a rare display of not dominance, but strength for the girl. She had paused on the street, and Jiina halted alongside her, her eyes looking from side to side but finally settling back on the cat's eyes in the girl's face. She was an animal, that much was true. And animals had instinct, which made Isette more of a danger to Jiina. She could manipulate people and their emotions - but you could not change instinct. Instict was always there. It was a threatening thought, slightly unnerving, to realise you were faced with something you could not battle. Likewise, she was surprised again by the direct question. Jiina was not entire sure what she wanted from this girl - she confused her. She did not know how to respond to honesty, as she very rarely used it. Isette's expression was calm as she slipped the gleaming pendant away, and she watched it's movement as a way of gaining more time. What did she want? She knew what she wanted. "I want you to go and steal me something else, something bigger. Make it a challenge." Jiina grinned, maliciously, an honest grin, as if she were excited by the idea of Isette in danger. She did not want Isette to get in trouble. She didn't think she would. The theft of the first pendant was done smoothly. Jiina just wanted to see if she could do it again. It would be impressive if she could. And if she got caught, it would be a pity for Isette, but Jiina would deal with the stall owner for her. She did not want the Kelvic to get in trouble, not yet anyway - this was just a test of skill. "There is no set punishment, not for a stall like the one you were just at. You could be fine ... you could be made to pay extra ... you could even be lashed. But you'll be fine." Jiina winked, waiting for a response. Would the Kelvic do it? She hoped so.

[Isette]

Was Jiina’s response a surprise? Isette wasn’t sure how she felt. It was not an answer she had predicted, but it didn’t instill her with shock or anything. Mostly, she was curious. A challenge. A challenge to steal. Why? But this was where instinct overcame logic. Rather than questioning the motive, Isette found herself wondering how she would accomplish such a task. It was a challenge. And Isette wanted to come out on top. But could she do it? The feline was not very good at thieving. She got caught more than she succeeded. That didn’t make the challenge impossible, just improbable. Jiina was right. Worst case scenario? She was lashed. Usually, they just demanded she return the item. Sometimes they chased her away yelling. But there was that one time with the fisherman…Isette didn’t even want to try and take that walk into memory lane. That man had been extra mean, but she could have gotten away just find if she’d had the energy and the resulting fight would never have happened. This time she had the energy. If something went wrong, she could always shift and run away, hide for a while. Things would die down and everything would be okay. There didn’t seem to be too much risk aside from the humiliation of failure. Isette did not want Jiina to see her fail. That would mean seeing her vulnerable. She wasn’t sure if she could handle that yet. The kelvic bit her lip, considering. Maybe she could ask Jiina not to watch? But that would defeat the purpose. In that case, Isette could simply buy whatever her target item was and pretend it was stolen. Besides, she wanted Jiina to see her succeed. That settled it then. She had no choice but to attempt the challenge and succeed at it. This was a matter of pride for the feline. “Yes,” she said amiably, “I will do this. Choose something and I will retrieve it for you.” She was nervous. It was clear enough in her features despite her casual tone of voice. Her eyes betrayed her as they so often did. Nonetheless, she would succeed. She would make Jiina proud. Because for some reason that was important to her. Isette wanted to prove herself worthy of…What? She wasn’t sure. All she knew for certain was that it was important to her. There was no way she could fail when she was this determined.

[Jiina]

Jiina waited for the Kelvic to make a decision. She was not tense. She did not hold her breath in anticipation. She did not worry about what would happen if she said no. The Kelvic would undoubtedly say yes. Jiina, it seemed, had a sway over Shaychi. There was never any doubt she would accept the challenge. And Jiina was so glad she had. Let the fireworks begin. She smiled, widely, when Shaychi accepted her offer. Clapping her hands together, she laughed. Her laugh was light, unexpected for Jiina who seemed to act so tough, so manipulative all the time. "Excellent!" she cried out, getting a couple of stares from the passing Lhavitians in the dwindling twilight. She shook her head at them, indicating that she was fine and did not need any assistance dealing with this Shimobe. She turned back to Isette. "I'm proud, dear Shaychi," she murmured. A hand rose up, seemingly of its own accord, and grasped Isette's shoulder warmly. "It is a mark of courage, valour and honour that you are taking on this challenge. Good job." Perhaps she was laying it on a bit thick. Oh well. Surely Isette would be warmed that a person of her stature was proud of a Shimobe? Anyway. Jiina turned, and surveyed the stall. She wanted the challenge to be more this time, but she didn't necessarily want the poor girl to be whipped for failing. It needed to be difficult but not overly so. She scanned the stall - a book? No, what would Jiina do with a book? Another pendant? No, that had already been done. What could she make the cat with sticky fingers take? Her eyes settled on a green blouse. It was floaty, and pretty. Jiina liked it. Slowly, she raised her finger and pointed at it. "You see that blouse? I want you to steal that for me, please and thank you." She watched the Kelvic carefully, waiting for a reaction, waiting to see her emotions play out on her face before her. The rapid change of feeling on Isette's face was of great entertainment. "Off you go!" Jiina cried, clapping Isette on the back. It was time for the fun to begin.

[Isette]

Isette had not expected such a loud reaction. People turned to stare and the kelvic shifted nervously. She did not like the attention they were getting. Isette knew she was not a very good thief and this whole job depended on subtlety. She tried to smile casually at the passersby, but she was too jumpy to completely pull it off. Luckily, most people didn’t seem that interested. The disinterest was noticed and Isette was able to settle back down. Actually, all of her nervousness was suddenly forgotten. Had Jiina just said she was proud? Isette listened to the woman’s words curiously. Honor. That was a strange compliment to offer her. Isette wasn’t sure if accepting a challenge to steal made her worthy of being called honorable, but she wasn’t going to complain about the compliment. Isette enjoyed flattery. And she was content to bask in it. Besides, she considered herself to be honorable in her own way. Other people did not normally see that in her, though. Isette didn’t think they understood. Jiina seemed to. Or else…Isette looked up and watched as Jiina scanned the area, searching for something perfect to steal. Not for the first time, the kelvic wished she could know what was going through her mind. A shirt? Isette’s musings were cut short as Jiina pointed out the target. Isette blanched, but recovered quickly. She did not want Jiina to see her nervousness. “Y-yes,” she said. She could do this. It would be easy. It was just a shirt. Just a shirt. A big shirt with lots of people. Her mind raced, attempting to come up with a plan. A good plan. The cat bit her lip as she studied the area thoughtfully, her nervousness momentarily fading into the background. She didn’t know how to steal something big, but she could learn… With a deep breath, Isette faded into the crowd. She simply had to switch her mindset. She was hunting. The blouse was prey. Isette could do it. Her fear bubbled back up inside her, but she shoved it back down. She needed a clear head for this. Isette browsed through the other clothes in the stall, waiting for the right time. Now! The storekeeper was busy. She tugged the blouse quickly, smoothly and hid it on her person just as she had the pendant. And she would have gotten away with it, too. But there was something she hadn’t counted on. “Thief!” A rough hand gripped her wrist tightly. Isette tried to tug herself free, but failed. Frightened, she looked up into the eyes of a big man. It seemed the shop had two keepers. This one had been in the back so she hadn’t seen him during her initial scan of the place. Her instinct said she should shift and run away. Her logic said that was a bad idea. If she shifted now, he could potentially snap her wrist. Not to mention he had the fresh scent of dog. Isette was unsure of her ability to outrun a dog and the dog would surely hurt her much more than the man. The man’s free hand moved along her body until he found the shirt, which he promptly pulled out. Evidence of her crime. Isette gave him a defiant look. “Well lookit this,” he growled, “What should we do with you, thief?” The question was rhetorical. Isette didn’t bother to answer, she just struggled some more. By now there was a bit of a crowd gathered around. Isette didn’t like that. Maybe she would shift after all, before the man decided she needed to be an example.

[Jiina]

Jiina smiled slightly at Isette's stuttered response. Whilst Isette was looking out at the large floaty blouse she had pointed out, Jiina was watching Isette very carefully. It took a large amount of her will power not to laugh at the jumpy Kelvic. She looked absolutely terrified, and it was hilarious. Jiina hadn't really seen enough of Isette's larceny talent to really know how skilled she was, but based on the reaction, she wasn't all that good. But that was Isette's problem, not hers. If she was caught, Jiina would intervene - but she wouldn't be happy about it. Jiina watched carefully as Isette, quite skillfully so far, managed to move so that she looked a part of the rest of the crowd. The operation had begun. Jiina hastily arranged her body to lean against the wall, looking casual, trying not to draw any attention to herself and the thieving kitty cat. "Just waiting for a friend," she murmured, to someone who looked questioning at her. They looked vaguely familiar - Dawn Tower perhaps? She couldn't be sure, and in all honesty, it didn't matter, as they moved on further without a backward glance. Using her peripheral vision, and the occasional sidewards glance, Jiina watched just what was happening with Isette. Jiina watched Isette. The cat's browsing was reasonable. Smooth, and realistic, though anyone who looked closely could see the underlying tension and the way Isette's eyes moved rapidly back and forth. Jiina laughed when she tugged the blouse off the table, the fabric billowing conspiciously as she hurriedly shoved it down inside her cloak. She didn't laugh however, with joy that Isette had accomplished the task. The laugh was tinged with a little bit of maliciousness, as Jiina saw the shopkeeper before Isette did. She was laughing at her failure. Though it irritated her that Isette had failed, ultimately, she could still work this situation to her advantage. The crowd began to circle and Isette struggled more. She hoped Isette had enough sense not to shift and to wait for Jiina, but so far, Jiina was not fully entrusted of Isette's sense. She seemed to like Jiina, after all. That wasn't very sensible. In her tight leather garments, Jiina sighed dramatically and edged her way through the crowd. "Shimobe!" she cried dramatically, glaring at Isette with ice cold eyes. As well as it being an act to excuse Isette, it was a method of putting her down for failing Jiina. "Did you get my blouse yet?" She paused, as if taking in the situation and then gasped, as if horrified. Rushing over to the shopkeeper, she placed a hand on his bicep and fluttered her eyelashes up at him. He didn't look impressed; he looked rather disgusted. But it at least got the attention to shift away from Isette. "Did my Shimobe take the blouse? Oh, I am so sorry, good sir!" She smiled sweetly at him, then shot a theatrical glare at Isette. She stood back, strong stance, as if ready to make an announcement. "I am Jiina Xi, daughter of Taeto Twilight, who is cousin to Weisur Twilight." She smiled at the crowd, though imperiously, hoping that they would be suitably impressed. "I sent this Shimobe to buy me a green blouse. She left the money at home, incompetent fool that she is. I set out to give her the money," here she produced three kina, "but I have come to find her breaking the law. I beg your pardon. You may do with her what you wish, as punishment for your actions." She smiled at the shopkeeper, who looked eager to hurt poor Isette. "But," she whispered, and she sidled up to him so that the crowd could not hear, but Isette could. "If I could secure six kina as opposed to three, you might let her go? I'm sure she is VERY sorry. She is only Shimobe after all. We cannot expect much." She flashed a grin, glanced at Isette, and waited for his decision. The shopkeeper took a moment, but eventually nodded hesitantly. Jiina grinned once more, and dug into her purse hanging at her pants to produce six skyglass kina, which she passed over willingly. "Now let my poor servant go?" And he did. She held a hand out to Isette, expecting her to take it. She reserved the glares and the lectures for later. For now they had to get out of sight as the crowd dispersed, and before the shopkeeper changed his mind.