Just Some Harmless Theft (Cid)

[Drayton]

40th of Spring, 511 AV

The street Eleanor was walking on was dark and soggy. The packed dirt was quickly turning into mud beneath a persistent drizzle. With each step moisture wormed its way into the holes in Eleanor’s boots, leaving the unpleasant sensation of damp, sticky toes behind. Each step she took was announced by a fanfare of squelching and sucking noises as she lifted her feet from the muck.

With a flick of her head Eleanor attempted to brush back the wet bangs that hung before her eyes. Instead her auburn hair merely plastered itself against her forehead, refusing to be moved by any amount of head shaking. As she peeled her bangs back and tucked them behind her ear the young woman shivered. It was early in the morning, and the Syna’s warmth had been overcome by the night’s rainy gloom. Very few people would have felt inclined to take a moonlight stroll tonight. Part of that might have been because the moon was obscured by several layers of water laden clouds. This was exactly why Eleanor was trudging down the street in her current sodden condition. The rain wasn’t falling hard, there was no actual reason not to be out other than personal comfort and, most importantly, it was very difficult to get caught doing something you shouldn’t if there was no one around to see you.

With this in mind Eleanor sidled up to a middle class house and peered into the window. The sharp angles of a long wooden table could almost be distinguished in the dark. Doesn’t look like a bedroom, that’s good enough for me. The thief rammed a wedge between the window frame and sill. Using a small hammer she quietly tapped at the worn down top of the wedge, driving it further between the old wood of the window until she could slip a finger into the crack.

It was a simple latch, but a difficult angle to work from. Eleanor was forced to remove her padded glove in order to slide her hand further into the opening. She held the fingerless glove in her teeth as she twisted her hand around, scowling as a splinter pierced her skin. With a final flick of her index finger the small latch fell off its perch and the window lifted open easily.

Eleanor stood on the wooden floor of a dining room, her dirty clothes leaving small puddles of rainwater pooling in the shadows. With a shake of her head droplets of water settled on almost every surface, and the girl began to walk around silently, appraising her surroundings.

OOCCid, she’ll be out in a moment if you want to find her in the street, okay? Just thought the post was getting a bit long.

[Cid]

Cid saw it all. He was just passing by one of the streets when out of the corner of his eye he saw a suspicious figure standing outside of window. It wasn't the first time that he saw something like this. Only it was rare for him to see a woman doing such things. He had seen plenty of woman criminals in his day but not often. Cid was going to approach her right before she slid through the window. He knew then that he had a choice to either follow her inside to stop her, or wait outside and confront her. Or he could move on his way and act like he saw nothing. But that wasn't who he was. He was a Sunberth Vigilante and he would do whatever he could to stop this woman from stealing. He didn't know if the people who lived in the home deserved it. And frankly he didn't care. They were strangers so it wasn't up for him, or the thief to decide what they deserved. So picking a corner where he was out of sight, but still able to get a good view of when she left the house, he stood waiting in the rain. OOCSorry about the short post...

[Drayton]

It was difficult to see in the dining room that Eleanor found herself in, but the gleam on the polished surface of the large table hinted at fine craftsmanship. Delving into her pockets Eleanor pulled out a burlap sack, whose fibers floated through the humid air as she unfurled it. The thief worked her way around the first floor quietly. It wasn’t her goal to rob this family blind, or to wake them up, there was no need to stuff her sack to bursting. I’ll just take a few shinies here and there, stuff that shouldn’t be too hard to unload for a couple mizas… she thought as she pulled open the cutlery drawer.

She could tell by the beginnings of black tarnish creeping around the edges of the utensils and the soft resistance of the metal when she applied a bending force with her thumb what was silver and loaded her sack with the more valuable items. To stop the tinkling of the spoons Eleanor shifted her attention to the living room, it was difficult to appraise items in the darkness of the stormy night, but she felt her way over the couches and chairs, stroking the cushions in an attempt to distinguish the softest and hopefully most expensive fabrics. Those that seemed suitably luxurious fell into her bag. There was still a little space in her sack, and Eleanor looked to the mantel to fill the hole. There was a small group of dancing figurines using the wooden surface as their stage. They twirled gracefully as their porcelain bodies tumbled into the dark mouth of Eleanor’s bag.

That should be enough for now… Some of this stuff has to fetch a decent price. A nice easy job. She grinned as she clambered out of the window and into the sticky mud of the streets, slinging the bag over her thin shoulder as she headed home.

OOCNo problem, I didn’t leave you with much to do.

[Cid]

Cid had waited outside in the mud for only a short period of time. He soon watched the woman climbing outside of the window. He waited for her to choose a direction and begin to walk off before he followed. Cid made no attempt to remain hidden, slowly closing in on the thief. He hoped that maybe the woman wouldn't run away. Cid was fast, but not that fast. He couldn't run for very long in his armor. He was sure that the thief knew she was being followed. Cid then waited for no one to be around, better to not make a public scene, before he confronted her. "Excuse me miss? Would you mind stopping for a moment?" Cid had no idea if she would stop, continue walking, or run off. But he hoped that the woman would make it easier on him and just stop and talk to him. He wouldn't punish her for her crimes if she returned whatever it was she took. Cid really enjoyed fighting, the feel of adrenaline pumping through his veins made him feel more alive than any other time. However for some reason, he found it difficult to fight a woman. He had met plenty a formidable opponents that were female, so it wasn't that he viewed them as weak. And if he had to, he would fight or even kill one. Just as he would a man. But something inside of Cid kept him from wanting to fight a woman.

[Drayton]

"Excuse me miss? Would you mind stopping for a moment?"

Of course I mind, the girl thought crankily as she spun around in the rain, squinting in the dark to see who was bothering her. “What do you want?” she huffed, water sliding from her wet bangs over her cheek. It collected in small drops at the point of her narrow chin before falling into the mud.

Eleanor’s fist tightened around the sack that hung over her shoulder, jingling faintly with the sound of silver spoons colliding as she shifted her weight. Her other hand was resting on the pommel of her father’s old dagger. The weapon was nearly invisible; she wore it in the thick scarf that was wrapped around her waist as a belt and to the side, underneath her vest and folds of excess cloth from her over-large shirt. Reaching for it meant the girl looked like she was resting a hand on her hip unless someone had a very good eye. It was too dark out for a good eye. Of course, the element of surprise in Sunberth wasn’t that she had a weapon, everyone had a weapon, it just helped that people didn’t always know where she kept it.

Don’t start a fight, just let me go home. I’m cold and wet and just want to sleep until breakfast tomorrow… Eleanor knew how to handle herself, defend herself, but the girl preferred not to fight strangers. It was hard to tell how skilled they were, and though she was strong she wasn’t a big person and most men were larger by far. If they got a good grip on her it was tough to break free, no matter how much pain she could cause them if she was loose.

Not wanting to fight didn’t really matter though, and Eleanor’s muscles were tense, ready to dodge if need be. She didn’t know what this strange man wanted with her so late on a rainy night, but it was suspicious. If he wanted to talk, so be it, if he wanted to fight she’d do her best to give him enough scratches to distract him while she ran off.

[Cid]

Cid watched as she turned around and rested her hand on her hip. If he didn't know any better he would say she was resting her hand on a weapon. But that was probably just his warrior's intuitive kicking in. She probably was just resting her hand in a girly fashion. Still, he thought it'd be safe to rest his own hand on his clearly visible, sheathed longsword. If she did have a weapon Cid was sure she wouldn't attack a man that looked battle-ready. "Don't worry." He said with a smile. "I'm not looking for trouble." Rain poured down his pulled up hair and face, falling down to the mud-soaked earth. As Cid looked down at the woman he started to have doubts. Maybe he should let her go. After all, maybe she needed to steal to feed a family. Maybe she the money for children, or siblings. Cid had once needed to lie, cheat, and steal to help feed his brothers. All three of them had to support each other. Who was he to stop this woman if she was in need. He shook the thought away. Who was he to say whoever she stole from deserved it? No. He had stopped stealing because his mentor had taught him better. Just as he would try and do the same for this woman standing in front of him. "I couldn't help but notice your... unlawful actions a moment ago." Cid would allow the woman to decide what to do. "I highly doubt you know who lived there or can say they deserve what you have done to them." He hoped that she would admit to it and just give him the bag, or better yet return to the house with him and return the things herself.

[Drayton]

“If you’re not looking for trouble then take your hand off your sword. It sends the wrong sort of message,” Eleanor said defensively, her voice tense and flat with irritation.

Who is this? Who does he think he is, stopping me! She shook her head, letting the water fly away from her eyes so she could watch the man better. The girl chuckled insolently. “Unlawful doesn’t exist in Sunberth. I don’t know where you’ve been living but this is an anarchist town. Besides, I think they’ll survive the loss of a few silver spoons and I’ll benefit from a hearty meal, don’t you?”

She could feel the mud seeping into the holes in her boots as the street sucked up more of the rain water. The light drizzle of earlier had picked p the pace and was now a storm, enthusiastically shedding water that flowed down the back of Eleanor’s shirt, drenching her skin. “Now, if you don’t mind, I’ll be heading home. You know how poor a street-rat’s health can be and I’m afraid this terrible ol’ storm might just do me in.” She make a weak coughing noise into her bony shoulder and offered the man an over exaggerated shudder when a fresh gust of sodden wind blew through the street.

[Cid]

Cid kept his hand on his sword for safe measures. His mentor taught him to never let his guard down. "I'll have you know, that I have lived here my entire life. I grew up on the streets so I know there is next to no justice and law here." Cid let out a sigh. He knew that it was going to be a lot of work for the Sunberth Vigilantes Guild to turn this city around. "But that's going to change." He looked at the young girl, perhaps seventeen. She definitely didn't look good. She had obviously lived on the streets for a while, if not her whole life. "I agree that living on the street can bring about poor health. And yes, you probably could do with a good meal from the looks of it." Cid felt bad for this thief. He really did, maybe because he had been where she was. "I'll tell you what. You return those spoons and whatever else is in that bag, and I'll buy you as much as you can eat. And I'll even pay for a night at the inn so you can rest well, and I'll be on my way." Cid took his left hand and wiped off the rain from his face. "Whoever lives in that home won't lose anything, and you'll get a place to sleep and a good meal. What do you say?" Cid wasn't sure if she would accept his offer. He wasn't that open to help when he was a kid, than again, he had his brothers.

[Drayton]

That’s going to change.

He’s delusional, you try and change Sunberth you may as well help the mobs tie your noose. You don’t like it try and leave. I’m sure if you can afford such a nice shiny sword you could afford a boat ride to Syliras. At least that’s what she thought to herself when the man hinted at his grand plans. For his benefit she offered a disbelieving snort.

“All right Mister, I’ve heard your sermon, let you preach; now I’m leaving. Those folks’ll be fine and what I’ve taken will get me more than whatever you dish out for a meal. Besides, I have a place to sleep, and if you grew up in Sunberth you know all about the high quality of our inns,” she winked at the man to emphasize her last comment, though she wasn’t sure he would be able to see the sarcastic gesture in the dark. He seemed like an okay sort of guy, but Eleanor wasn’t having any of it. These spoons were going to her adventuring funds and were going to help her get out of the city of scum. I suggest you do the same.

“Now, though it’s been a pleasure talking with you, I think I’m going to get out of the rain.” Eleanor raised her dagger in a sort of cocky farewell and began to walk away. The rain drops slid down her sleeve, barely noticeable as they ran over her already drenched skin and her boots squelched in the mud. She didn’t really expect him to left her off though, and tried to listen through the rushing rain for the sucking sound of another pair of feet moving through the sludge. There was no way he could pursue her without it.

[Cid]

From her tone of voice, Cid was able to tell pretty quickly that she had no intention of doing the right thing. Like he had guessed, the girl had had her hand on a blade. Never doubt your instincts! Cid silently chastised himself. Those were the words that his mentor had always taught him. He was glad that his hand was at least on his sword. He watched as she turned around and began to walk away. Letting out a heavy sigh, Cid drew his longsword and, taking one step forward, rested it on the thief's shoulder. "Okay, I'm done asking. You are going to return what you have taken. You don't have to accept my offer of food and shelter, but it still stands." He really did hate threatening the girl. Something deep down just made him think it was wrong. "I can tell the streets of Sunberth have rubbed off on you. As they did me many years ago." Cid realized how it sounded when he said many years. He wasn't that old really, still very young. But it was true. It had been many years ago that his mentor took him and his brothers under his wing. "But there is no reason you don't have to change. Whether or not you yourself returns what's in that sack of yours, it will be going back to it's owners." Cid really hoped that she wouldn't turn to fight. If she turned flashing a blade, he might cut her. Then again, he had no idea of the abilities that the girl had. She could be tricky. He would just have to continue to hope for the best and hope that she would finally agree to his demands.