villanesque
Nebula
"So that's it? What, we some kind of Starborn Alignment?"
Posts: 21 
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Post by villanesque on Feb 13, 2018 23:25:38 GMT -6
Pocket Thief
Plot
Being a Scoundrel usually means that you need to be apt at more shady techniques. Corinth finds himself in the streets one day to hone his pick-pocketing skills. Unfortunately, he's not very good at it (yet) and someone he fears most catches him in the act.
Setting
1701, Winter, nearing sunset on the Gilded Bridge
Characters
Hel
Chevalier
Corinth
Scoundrel
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villanesque
Nebula
"So that's it? What, we some kind of Starborn Alignment?"
Posts: 21
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Post by villanesque on Feb 14, 2018 5:54:25 GMT -6
In the crowded spaces of the Gilded Bridge, Corinth skulked about the perimeter, watching the vendors and customers mill about in the dimming daylight. Tiny and small, most horses didn't pay him any attention. Rather there were a few pleasantries that were exchanged between him and then and Corinth knew why: he was much tidier (something that he took great care to keep up) and unassuming than the usual street urchin. Which was good; he needed it desperately if he didn't want to get too much negative attention--especially for what he was going to do today.
He was going to steal something today.
Well, it wasn't like he wanted to do it; in fact, Corinth hated the idea of doing it. Dreaded it. Stealing was wrong, obviously. That's what Mother always said. So why was he sneaking around among the merchant stalls, peering curiously at their contents? He was hungry, and a terrible money spender. But most of all, today he craved something sweet. The Vatros Sanctum has always had some food to provide, but Corinth wasn't interested in eating their less-than-stellar meals. They were filling, but he missed the variety of treats he could usually eat at home.
It was...a selfish reason to steal. Corinth ignored that.
It was when he came across a certain stall selling pastries that something caught his eye. On top of an iron food warmer, positioned on the stall where the vendor probably couldn't see, sat a plate of cookies (and having a sharp eye for pastries that most sweet-obsessed foals usually possessed, Corinth recognized that they were apple cookies). There were other pastries like scones and candied fruit, but the warm cookies held Corinth's attention the most. They were now his target.
"Hi dearie," sang a gentle voice, smooth as honey, jolting Corinth from the assorted foods. Tentatively the colt looked up into the kind, elderly face of a strawberry roan mare. She was the vendor. "Are you looking for something to buy? Where are your parents?"
"I-I'm just looking," Corinth murmured, meeting the vendor's kind and cheery gaze. He made a small, clumsy gesture towards the right, at no one in particular. "My mother is at another stall; she said I could look here." Breaking eye contact, Corinth turned his head downwards and added, "I'll leave if it makes you uncomfortable. Can I have a few napkins?"
"Don't worry, you're not making me uncomfortable." Corinth nodded, but deep inside he held back a wearied sigh. The mare didn't seem to notice. "Anyways, sure; I'll hand you some napkins."
"T-thank you, Ma'am."
"No need." The vendor turned and plucked a few napkins from a tin box. She turned and handed them to Corinth, who took them immediately. "Now run along to your mother—maybe she'll let you have a few treats from here." The mare smiled at him, and she had a genuine, charming smile. Why did she have to be so nice? Corinth smiled back, but deep inside it felt wrong and fake to do so. Everything felt wrong. He picked the wrong mare to rob.
"Okay. Well...have a nice day." He turned around and began to clop away. Behind him, he heard the vendor wish him a farewell. Back into the crowd, Corinth paused. Was this really worth it, after listening to the mare talk? There was still time to stop if the urchin really wanted to. He risked a small glance back. The vendor was now chattering with another customer.
Now was his chance.
He rounded back to the stall, this time creeping up to where the vendor couldn't see him, blocked by the food warmer. From above, the cookies were within reaching distance. Corinth breathed in the sweet scent as if it were his last (and it might be, he thought, if he got caught). The aroma stirred something in the core of his heart. His eyes narrowed. Then, carefully, he reached out with his telekinesis towards the plate of pastries.
"Sorry, Ma'am."
He took one and stuffed it into the cluster of napkins he held, concealing it from wandering eyes just in case. Then he took a second. Then a third.
It was weirdly easy. Why hadn't the vendor noticed him yet? Maybe she did and was waiting to strike. Corinth peeked over the counter. She was still talking. And the customer probably couldn't see Corinth at this angle.
Now he took the fourth cookie.
He should stop; he could go to jail. He deserved to. But Corinth didn't stop. He needed just one more.
The colt snatched a five, final cookie and wedged it into the already full napkin. Then, taking a step back, Corinth bolted as fast as he could across the other side of the bridge, not slowing down until he bumped lightly against the opposing wall. No one had stopped him; no one seemed to notice.
He was safe.
Post #1
Word Count: 815
OOC: okay honestly this went longer than I intended even after I cut out huge chunks from this
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Post by kawaiideadpool on Feb 14, 2018 14:54:53 GMT -6
If she hadn't been born in such a bustling city, Hel probably could have felt suffocated under the presences of everyone else along the Bridge. Some butts into her side, and she lets out a harsh 'watch it' before making her way deeper into the crowd. Now Hel could understand why she might be instructed to follow along the Bridge- certainly all the vendors and customers made for some shady dealings. And certainly there were a few low-lifes that might try to get away with stealing things out from under the merchants' noses.
But with that being said, patrols were going to be the death of her one day. There were plenty of other things she could be doing besides making circles through the city. Wasn't there something more exciting? Something more dangerous? A long sigh falls from her lips as she pushes through the crowd, most parted ways for her- out of knowing that she was a Chevalier and also out of fear that those long tusks might just stab them if they didn't stay away.
The bicorn probably wouldn't have noticed if she hadn't been paying close enough attention. She definitely wouldn't have noticed if her sight wasn't so trained on picking out the unnoticeable. But luckily for her, her attention had been drawn to the swift movement out of the corner of her eye and it was enough to peak her interest. Enough to give her pause. And enough for her to think that it might be some deserving of her attention.
Wait. Was that a child? One neatly trimmed eyebrow juts up into wonder. Now where were they going in such a hurry? Then a twinge of concern shots through her body- where they lost? Where they looking for someone? The dark coated mare quickly decides that patrol duty would have to wait. At least this would be more interesting than wandering around in aimless circles.
The Chevalier mumbles a soft 'excuse me' to those around her before pushing her body through the crowd. Moving slowly and steadily, Hel quickly closes the ground between herself and the child; which wasn't particularly that hard since she certainly had a larger step than they did. Her neck snap backs when she watches them bump into a wall; that certainly looked like it didn't feel good. A strained 'ouch' falls from her lips as if she had been the one to go bumping into a wall.
Hel loudly clears her throat, trying to give the child warning that she was standing over him, "Are you lost or something?" Her voice comes off a lot deeper and more intimidating that she had planned but she was certainly still stuck in her soldier mind set- speaking and standing in a way that wordlessly communicated that she craved respect. Realizing that she is speaking to a child, she lets out a long sigh of breath before relaxing her stance a bit.
"You alright, kid?"
She hoped she sounded a little bit friendlier that time as she gives a sideways grin. Interest peaking even more at the napkin in his teke that was packed with sweets.
She hoped he paid for those, but there's a voice in the back of her mind that says otherwise.
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villanesque
Nebula
"So that's it? What, we some kind of Starborn Alignment?"
Posts: 21
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Post by villanesque on Feb 15, 2018 3:43:20 GMT -6
With a startled yelp and accidentally loosening his grip on the napkins, Corinth spun around to face the speaker. On the ground, a cookie spilled out with napkins fluttering away in the cold breeze. Corinth couldn't help but cringe, clutching the rest of the pastries a bit tighter. Oh no, so much for all that effort. He didn't have time to mourn over the ruined goods however as he stared nervously at the stranger addressing him. From the scars on her face and the air of authority around her, it wasn't hard to guess who she was. Realizing it made the blood in his veins turned cold and his heart nearly skipped a beat. He wasn't safe after all.
The colt had to force himself to speak after a moment of hesitation, pressing himself against the sheer wall of the Bridge's perimeter.
"I-I'm fine." His voice raised an octave or two. Had she seen him steal the cookies? No, she hadn't; if she had she would have accused him outright, wouldn't she? Her stance and facial expression changed to something more kinder, but despite that Corinth couldn't get himself to relax. Instead, he began to formulate an excuse for her next question and forced his voice to maintain a steady tone, though it continued to waver just slightly.
"I'm not lost. M-my mother is just over there. Um--" Corinth gestured with a hoof towards the crowd, "--buying some clothes." The lie felt even flimsier now that he stood against a more intimidating figure, who could no doubt throw him into a prison cell without hesitation. That was usually what Corinth's brother usually boasted about at least--arresting whoever you wanted just because you could. But Gortyn was also not very smart and could be fooled easily, so maybe Corinth could fool this Chevalier like he fooled the vendor, if only just enough to get away? He had to.
"I should...really be going to see her now; she might be wondering where I am." The colt tried to creep past the Chevalier, eyeing her carefully as he waited for the perfect moment to bolt for it. "So uh...bye."
Post #2
Word Count: 355
OOC:
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Post by kawaiideadpool on Feb 16, 2018 23:23:11 GMT -6
The Chevalier only hums at the child's words; taking each one with a grain of salt.
Hel watches with a cocked up eyebrow as he creeps around her. A strained sigh falls from her lips. He looked terrified; a mouse cornered by a cat. Poor thing. What was he so scared of? Her expression flatters for a second. Me. Scared of me. And who wouldn't be? Some Chevaliers didn't have the best of reputations and it was certainly not helping any by the way she craned her neck down at him; watching him through her eyelashes. Coughing slightly, the mare relaxes her stance a little bit more realizing that she still probably had this air of intimidation to her.
"Not lost?" She quizzes, chuckling softly to herself as she smiles down at him. Turning on her heels, she's right beside him without much hesitation. "Well that's actually fairly good. You best get back to your mother before you get into trouble," She laughs.
How much longer till he cracks and admits to something? For some reason, being a Chevalier always got others to eventually crack under the pressure. Hel moves alongside him, showing no signs of steering away from him.
"All me to help you get back to your mother. She must be awfully worried," She smiles. While she didn't truly believe his mother was buying clothes, she was more than happy to help him find his mother if she was truly a real person. "There's so much going on here. Easy to get lost, and into trouble. And we wouldn't want that."
Whether or not he accepted her offer would not sway her any. She was going to follow him to his mother and get to the bottom of this. After all, turning away a Chevalier's escort might not be the best idea. Just another way for her to figure out exactly what he is up too; turning her away might raise even more of her suspicion.
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villanesque
Nebula
"So that's it? What, we some kind of Starborn Alignment?"
Posts: 21
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Post by villanesque on Mar 16, 2018 1:28:19 GMT -6
For a moment, Corinth lost his (already fragile) composer; his eyes began to dart wildly from side-to-side. The mare knew he was lying, she had to know, and she was messing with him now. Well good, he guessed, he kind of deserved to be messed with. The only problem was that Corinth didn't know what to do now.
"Oh, um, you don't have to," he began to say, but at this point it became clear that he wouldn't be able to shake the chevalier off no matter what came out of him. He smiled, but deep inside he wanted to scream. "B-but I guess we could look for her together. Thanks? I'll lead the way."
Corinth turned away so
that the mare couldn't see his face anymore (his smile instantly vanished as soon as possible) and began to steadily walk in the direction of where his "mother" was supposed to be. With the chevalier by his side it was harder to think, because at the corner of his eye he would see her shadowing him. If she knew that he was leading her on then she was really good at it--most adults were anyways, but she at least seemed sincerely concerned about helping him find his mother.
As he led the way urchin looked towards the vendor's stall, the one he had fled from just minutes ago. Amidst the sea of pedestrians he could see the stall's roof from afar. By now its owner probably noticed that some of her precious pastries had disappeared. The thought began to weigh heavily on the colt's shoulders, among other things...like the fact that he was lying a lot today, more than usual.
Corinth slowed to a halt as they got closer to the other side of the stalls, where the colt was certain he couldn't keep up the facade anymore, if it was ever still there for the mare to see. As hard as he was trying, there just wasn't any other way to avoid what was beginning to look like the inevitable. Even though his mind was formulating ways to slip through the crowd and get away, the actual anticipation of being pursued by an angry adult made the colt's limbs feel weak; he could barely stand before the mare without feeling his legs shaking. If she caught him, he could go to prison, or worse...they could set him on fire. He squirmed. Maybe it was better to just come clean. Maybe she'd be nicer and it wouldn't be too bad. So with a shuddering sigh, the colt began to speak and it almost hurt to do so.
"Um, can I tell you something?" He pinned his ears gently against his skull, turning his gaze downward. "My Mother isn't here."
Post #3
Word Count: 458
OOC:
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