~.~Be Careful What You Wish For~.~(Ric)

[Anonymous]

[center:3glnvx5i]*BeCarefulWhatYouWishFor*
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Miriam darted through the people in the street with ease, sometimes lifting a bag of money, sometimes not. It depended on their rank. If they looked like they had a lot of money she knew they could spare a bit of change.

Keira hissed in annoyance as she was jostled around in her bag. When they finally came to a stop she stuck her head out of the bag and looked around. Ah they were at their usual playing spot.

See Miriam was obsessed with fire and had made it her official job here in Arca. So she danced with fire, the rest of the evening, juggled it and did many more tricks. When she finished she sighed softly and muttered a curse in Serendipity's native tongue. She'd grown up listening to her mother speak it, at least until she was fiveish. With a sigh she started counting her money.
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*YouMightGetBurned*[/center:3glnvx5i]

[Anonymous]

Stepping out from the shadows, lured out by the sound of coin and smell of a thief. Carolyn had been given an assignement to bring the circus thieves up to speed with the thieves guild, tax system. Pulling back the hood covering up her face before turning to talk to the girl counting her money.

«By order of Raymond.D.Teach, the current holder of the Red ribbon. All manner of thievery is subject to pay tax to the Pink pony club.» She spoke in a rather reluctant and lazy manner and she didnt bother to make threats. Truth was she hardly cared for Thief politic's but apparently there had been some higher up gentleman theif's in seperate guilds who instead of retiering helped reforge a community to spread and organise everything illegal.

If she wanted to continue her work. She needed their support. Or else they would simply refuse to buy her stolen goods or even pay assassins to kill her off. Take this circus theif. All she did was steal money and work honestly.

 Thats why she had joined the Pink pony club like her father beforehand. Noticing a change in the air she prepared herself. Not everyone desired to pay.

«Its for bribery to keep officials away. If you dont pay they will show up.»

[Anonymous]

[center:1e9jdetn]Slowly Miriam stood, staring at the girl before her. She was about to come up with a retort about her not paying, when she felt something wrap around her neck. It was Keira. Instantly the snake calmed her and she sighed softly. Damn Thief's Guild, she didn't want to belong to it, never really got along with the guys there.

"Sorry...I think I'll take my chances with the officials. Miriam stated even as Keira gave a snake's hiss in warning.  Miriam looked up and saw one of the merchants she had lifted off of earlier. With him...an official.

Another sigh. Why her? Blue eyes looked up to the girl and she grabbed her hand. "Ya might want to run. The girl had been seen with her, so automatically would be assumed to be an associate. Miriam grabbed her money bags and threw something to the ground, which instantly turned into a cloud of smoke. Still holding the girl's hand she raced off through the coughing people, murmuring sorries to everyone. [/center:1e9jdetn]

[Anonymous]

«See? This is what happens when you dont pay.» Sighing in a displeased manner as she followed the girl listening to her appologies. «Your not a very organised theif, are you? Did you honestly think the Pink Pony club cant help you with that or is it that you figured youd grow honest later on and dont want any attachements to the trade bothering you?»

Pulling up a set of purses she had gathered while following the girl, grinning with pleasure as their pursuers where slowed down by the crowd. The smell of sweat and fire. Reminding her of why she had started out as a theif in the first place. Now she was older and pilfering pockets where not the same thrill it had been.
 
«Regardless you just pay'd me. Do you have a name or shall i simply call you something?»

[Anonymous]

[center:3sg6y3mo]Miriam glanced back at her and sighed softly before taking a sharp turn and into a house. She nodded to the owners who just chuckled and shook their heads. They were use to her doing this, although she'd never had a guest. Miriam went up to the top floor and let go of the girl's hand, walking to the window and looking out. She chuckled softly as the officials looked all over in confusion.

Slowly Miriam finally turned back to the girl and shrugged slightly, Name's Miriam.And I really don't need your organization. I have my own ways of dealing with things that don't involve you people.[/center:3sg6y3mo]

[Anonymous]

«I dont think you understand. If you dont pay the tax then you are free game for any assassin. They might even hire official's to go talk with your boss or whatever. Its not wise to go up against an organisation. Your just one woman.» Smiling confidently but with a resigned body language. She had been defeated by the guild and was now playing the puppet role.

Rather unwilling but better than being alone in a ditch with a knife in her back. «Much like myself. Except you are kinda small game in this buisniss. Ive moved on to fraud's and impersonating people. I even have my own house.»

She let the smell of bustling city life and alcohol fill her nose from a nearby window. «By all accounts considering that you will have your frail female body to worry about later on in life. Your not making it easy for me to protect you.»

[Anonymous]

Miriam tensed slightly, eyes going dark with anger. "You think an assassin Will be able to kill me?" She laughed softly and shook her head slightly. She'd been through assassins before, but had always come out on top. Plus she didn;'t care what some organization said she had to do. She was a free girl and she would stand by that.

You don't understand. I'm not just one woman...those people downstairs, most everyone on this street. They all protect me.

[Anonymous]

«For how long? Dont tell me they have feelings for you that trancend the value of gold or promise of bounty.» She eyed Miriam with evergrowing skepticism. «If you want to know what i think then i'd say with your kind of thinking you would last half a year at the most. «I have a copy of my reasoning here.»

Pulling out a stiff parchement, a bounty paper carrying her image. She didnt wish to use it as leverage but hoped it would have the desired effect.

1 Gold wasnt a whole lot but enough considering she was only a little girl. «The sum will increase by a steady amunt every month you refuse to pay. Its the money that you should have payed to the guild in the first place.»

Sighing when she noted the defiant glare in her eyes. «Look, whatcha gonna do when you grow older than fourteen eh? When you get cramps or illness or whatever you choose to call it. Just sign the membership card already. I dont want to spank some sence into you girl.»

[Anonymous]

Miriam sighed softly and held out her hand for the membership card then instantly ripped it up. She smirked slightly and shrugged slightly, throwing the pieces on the ground. "At least if I die I can say I died a free girl that did what she believed right. Can you say that?"

Miriam walked past her and walked down the stairs, head held high. Even if she had to leave this place, she wouldn't sell her soul to the Thief's Guild.

[Anonymous]

«I was being serious here. You think its going to be fun dying? Your life aint worth a pair of silver each month?» Carolyns black eyes were growing wide and fists clenched in fustration to this stupid dolt. «You think you are free now? Look around you. Noone here are free. We are all slave to something. Your master is just less apparent.»

Taking deep breaths to calm down and then counting to ten while following the girl downstairs. She had been a dolt like the girl herself. But that was then and this was now.

«Look, i can take you under my wing but that means sharing and paying tax to organisations dedicated to help fellow workers like everyone else.»  She hoped this would work, she was getting tired of the stubborn girl but she would be twice as stubborn and annoying in return.

«Think of the Pink Pony club as a merchants guild or a masons guild or a butchers guild. Stop fezzing over the proffession as if the members where more dirtier than any other guild.»

[Anonymous]

Miriam stopped on the stairs and turned abruptly to the girl, eyes dark with anger and hands clenched, "I don't want to be taken under your wing! I want to be free to do what I wish, when I wish. I may die but it's just a body, nothing can kill my ideals, my beliefs, or my legacy I leave behind. Now 'cuse me, I have business I must attend to."

She turned and walked away, eyes still dark with anger, when she got downstairs, she took out some money and gave it to the woman standing there. Then she slippe dout into the crowd, hoping the annoying girl would not follow. She wasn't like other thieves, getting money for profit only. She gave her money to those more needy, which was way she was confident she'd always have a place to hide. She had her own network of friends and promises and deals and would rather trust that then trust an organization like the Pink Pony Club.

[Anonymous]

it wasn't long before Miriam crashed into the frame of a tall man, most of him hidden by a red cape with a large hood. A slender frame with bulky chest and hands so huge they could probably warp around her waist.

He didn't smell, the clothing did but he had no scent and his face rather expressionless. "You refused her huh?"

Mused as he turned eyes to watch what he had bumped into, almost as if he could see without seeing. "You live mostly by yourself, supporting those who are poorer than you."

Finally the face moved, a slight smile almost as if he found her amusing. "When you die, your ideals will die with them, no one gives two shits about your beliefs and as far as I'm concerned the only legacy you left was a stomach that didn't growl so loudly as it would have if you didn't exist."

Black and white eyes, penetrating, taunting, mocking. Even from the puddles in the ground it was almost as if they where everywhere and nowhere at the same time. Silent souls that never screamed.

"I'm sorry, i shouldn't have sent anyone. In fact you can go on with your meaningless existence. I have no use for you. Perhaps, by feeding those who can't muster the willpower to feed themselves. You feel elevated beyond their position? They are parasites you know. Scum who deserve to die starved and drowning in their own piss. They exist for our amusement and as a reminder that if you end up like that. Nobody will truly care"

"I see you using your deeds as a way of running from something. It does not have a physical form.  You will eventually die right?" The man had bent down, his face at her level. Finally revealing the sad yet twisted expression  "Do you want to die without resolving the conflict in your heart?"