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Paying Her Respects (Chronicler)

Started by Ethereal-Star, October 22, 2014, 05:16:51 PM

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Ethereal-Star

The ice mage stood quietly at the small collection of graves in the town where she was born. She came here sometimes to both mourn and reflect, not only about her parents and uncle, but also herself. There was a lot of history for her here. She idly wondered what would have happened if her parents and uncle didn't die and were still here on this earth. Most likely she would still be a dabbler in ice magic, being barely able to freeze a drop of water. After all, despite their location, her parents weren't all that crazy about the use of magic especially not in their family. Her uncle was a little more lenient, but still not enough for Adelaide's liking.

She continued to stare at the graves, thinking about her childhood and parents who loved her very much. They only wanted the best for her she knew. The sky began to darken, dusk was soon coming around. Adelaide figured she had spent enough time here, it was time to move onwards again. After all while she did miss her parents, standing here all day and night would accomplish nothing. Breaking her reverie, she turned around to head someplace else. A drink would help lift her spirits a little. And then after that, she would practice her magecraft some more.

Chronicler

As the ice mage made her way out of the graveyard, a figure in a plain grey cloak passed her on the path. Nothing of his face was visible in the depths of his hood, but he moved with an unusual loping gait.

the traveler bumped into Adelaide's shoulder, and a clawed hand reached to casually remove the money purse from her belt, vanishing with it back beneath the folds of the cloak.

"My apologies miss," a soft voice muttered, continuing swiftly away. People had an unfortunate habit of checking their purses after being run into by a stranger. Best not to be around if she figured it out.

Ethereal-Star

As the stranger bumped into Adelaide, the ice mage glared at the figure. Somehow she wasn't entirely sure that it was an accident and so brushed off the hooded figure's apology. As the person or whoever it was, (she couldn't see their face clearly) walked swiftly away she glared daggers at the figure's back suspiciously for a couple moments. The voice sounded male, but she couldn't be sure on that.

Shaking her head, Adelaide turned to go in the direction of the nearby inn to get a much needed drink and respite from her musings. Before she got there, she reached for her coin purse to check how much money she had, before stopping short.

Her purse wasn't there.

"Blast it all!'" Adelaide swore and none too quietly either. Passersby looked up at her exclamation briefly before turning back to whatever they were doing before. "That little-" a series of curse words were muttered under her breath as the ice mage quickly looked around and rushed to where she last saw the thief. He couldn't have gotten far, she mused. She would find him and show him what ice mages were capable of. The little bugger would regret taking her money.

ooc: Da dun dun dun!!! Never cross an ice mage, eh?
   

Chronicler

Winter schooled himself to a casual pace, doing his best to disappear into the crowd. At the first sound of angry swearing he ducked down an alleyway, hoping he had not been seen.

For any other rogue, a change of garb would have been in order, but removing his cloak only ever attracted attention, even in the most understanding of towns.

Adelaide's coin purse disappeared into his satchel as he made his way through the shadows of the buildings.

He chuckled to himself. Graveyards had been a stroke of particular genius on his part. The grieving were too distracted to notice anything outside of themselves. Even when the dead were years gone, anyone leaving such a place was bound not to be paying attention.

Ethereal-Star

As Adelaide rushed toward the throng of people casually strolling along, she kept her eyes peeled for any unusual characters or movements out of the ordinary. After less than a minute, the ice mage thought she saw a shadow duck towards one of the dark alleyways but she couldn't tell which one at this distance. She immediately hurried over there, intent on finding the culprit and which direction he went in. The first two alleys proved fruitless with nothing amiss there. As she headed toward the third alleyway, she saw a brief movement of gray cloak out of the corner of her eye slip around a corner.

I've got you now, you little thief, Adelaide thought with determination. She would get her money back that was for sure.

She slipped quickly around the same corner as the person did and caught sight of a rather familiar figure heading away as though in a hurry. Adelaide smiled coolly and started preparations for a small ice ball to come hurtling the cut-purse's way. You stole from the wrong person, buddy. The mage let loose the ball of ice at that point.

Chronicler

The projectile struck an empty cloak, carrying it to the ground, as Winter abandoned the covering with a yelp, spinning to face his aggressor.

There were gasps from a handful of bystanders, not at the display of magic, but at his appearance.

Blue eyes appraised Adelaide from the face of a coyote. A moment of analytical thought ended with a slight shift in his body language.

"What was that for?" he cried indignantly. "I never did a thing to you! Someone call the city guard, I'm being attacked!" He raised his hands to show he had no desire for a fight. He was the victim here.

((I'm gonna leave the reactions of the people of Northoak to you. Adelaide is a local.))

Ethereal-Star

Momentarily surprised at seeing the face of the thief was an anthro coyote, Adelaide stilled for a second before indignantly pointing to him and shouting for all in the area to hear, "This person is a thief!" she yelled. "He took my money pouch and ran off with it! If you ask me, he was asking for it!" Adelaide glared at him, hands on her hips. "If anything I'm the victim here, this turd is only trying to cover up his crime!"

The mage was about to march over to him angrily, before a town guard came rushing up, his sword at the ready. "What is going on here!" he shouted in alarm, ready for whatever was about to transpire.

Adelaide turned to him and then pointed at the coyote. "That creature is a thief, he took my money! Do something about this! You're a guard after all!"

The guard looked at Adelaide in concern, a worried look on his face. He thought he recognized her from long ago, but couldn't be sure. However that little detail was insignificant at the current time. He turned towards the coyote and evened him with a level gaze and asked, "Is this true? Did you steal from this young lady?" Both awaited a response from the rogue.

Chronicler

The rogue's large blue eyes portrayed the perfect image of shock and innocence.

"Me? A thief? I would never! How awful!" He pointed an accusing finger at Adelaide. "She's after me because I'm not human, that's all!"

He made the call to gamble on the superstitions of the locals. "I was blessed by the gods, here to pass their blessing on to the people of the town of Northoak."

Ethereal-Star

"That's a lie!" Adelaide shouted at him, crossing her arms over her chest glaring at the coyote. "I do not give a crap about your race of origin. What I do care about is getting my money back! I know you have it, now hand it over!"

She looked askance at the rogue as he tried to play on the superstitions of the people.Did he really think-- There were a couple astounded gasps from the gathered crowd nearby with some muttered exclamations, but for the most part the people looked unimpressed with the anthro's words. Adelaide smiled smugly. "Nice try though. Now if you're quite done yet..."

The guard sighed, running a hand through his hair. Some days were just harder than others, he thought to himself. "Miss, are you sure he took your purse? Did you see him take it?"

Adelaide scowled, her features turning angry again. "I know what happened! I was at the graveyard paying my respects and this scumbag decided to take advantage of that and steal from me. The jerk bumped into me and when I went to check soon after, it was gone! There is no other explanation here!"

"I see." The guard turned to Winter and said, "I am sorry sir, but I will have to search you to be certain in this matter. Do you agree to this?"

Chronicler

"Of course, I understand. You have your duty to do. I would just have this confusion cleared up as soon as possible," Winter said with a nod and an apologetic smile to the guard. The smile turned for just a moment into a sly smirk when he turned his gaze to Adelaide.

He removed his cloak with a flourish and handed it to the guard.

"Here, I'll make this as easy as I'm able." He began removing objects from his satchel and laying them on the ground. A flint and steel, several small charms and fetishes, half a dozen vials of colored powders. No coin purse.

He reached in and turned the bag inside out to show it was empty. The purse remained safely concealed in a hidden pouch in the lining of the layered leather bag.

Ethereal-Star

Adelaide caught the smirk the coyote sent her way and her expression turned even more sour than before.

The guard examined the cloak Winter handed to him, noting nothing out of the ordinary with it. He and the ice mage both turned their attention to the contents sprawled on the ground, Adelaide with eyes like a hawk watching the rogue to make sure she couldn't detect any trickery from him in the meantime. All contents on the ground (or so it seemed), but there was no sign of any coin purse. Adelaide scowled, lip turning slightly up in disgust at this. She knew she should have expected him not to give in so easily! That asshole.... she thought bitterly. He even had the nerve to further deal the punch when he turned his bag all the way inside out! And of course, no coin purse there either.

"He has it, I know he does! The little rat!" she whirled on him furiously. "Give it back wherever you hid it!" she snapped.

The guard sighed. "I'm sorry miss, there appears to be no sign of any coin purse here." he told her apologetically. "There is nothing else for me to do, I'm afraid. You're free to go." he told Winter.

"Wait! Wait just a blasted second! How do you explain the fact that I now have no money on me to speak of? What am I to do now?!" her voice rose louder and louder, as the people stared at the scene with mixed reactions.

The guard paused and said, "I am sorry miss, I don't know what you expect me to do here. Someone else must have taken your money. I'll tell you what." he turned to her, Adelaide still seething, trying to control her anger. "I will keep my eyes open for any and all suspicious behavior 'round here. As soon as I discover anything, I will inform you. I suggest you go to the inn and just take a breather there. Cool off for a bit. Again, I'm sorry but I must be going, I have many duties to attend to today."

The guard walked off, leaving Adelaide at a loss. It seemed she would once again have to take matters into her own hands.

Chronicler

Winter scooped his belongings back into his bag. His cloak followed them in, its bulk not seeming to fill the satchel at all.

"It's not all bad my dear, we all make mistakes" he said. "In fact, just to show there are no hard feelings, come to the inn with me. I'll buy you a drink."

He beckoned for her to follow and headed down the street toward the large building.

Ethereal-Star

Adelaide was watching both the guard depart and Winter himself, trying to decide what to do now. She decided to follow the thief to the inn, hoping that way she could somehow get her pouch of money back. As to the how, Adelaide didn't know. All she knew was she had to get it back. And so she followed with that intent in mind.

The inn itself was fairly small, just as Adelaide remembered it. She used to come here a lot, to think and to study the spell book she had acquired from her father's many trips to the mountains and all the hidden places that dwelt in between those. She remembered envying that kind of freedom when she was younger, how she wished to do the same. The book was one of her most important possessions, and she was glad the rogue didn't take that. Then she would really have a fit and probably do something that she'd later regret. However, she was (mostly) content the rogue would have no use for a magic textbook of that kind, he was not a mage after all. Although, seeing those fetishes and colored vials, she wondered what else he was capable of.

The ice mage shook her head of thoughts and entered the inn, following behind the coyote. She watched him carefully in order to prevent any more trickery on his part.

Chronicler

Winter took a seat at the bar and it took only a moment for the bartender to move to meet him. "I'll have a glass of whatever the lovely lady likes," he said, pointing at Adelaide. "And dare I hope for just a glass of fruit juice?"

He pulled Adelaide's coin purse from his satchel and handed the bartender a gold coin as he turned his focus to the ice mage. "I do not partake for myself," he explained. "It dulls the senses and slows the reflexes."

Ethereal-Star

The ice mage was about to respond with what she wanted to drink when she noticed Winter pull her coin purse partially out of his satchel! Adelaide recognized the part of the pouch sticking out as her missing purse, she would know it anywhere! However not wishing to cause a scene, she simply narrowed her eyes at it and glanced sharply up at the rogue.

"You're a sly one, aren't you?" she snapped at him. "Dangling my bag in front of me in the middle of a tavern full of patrons so I won't attack you again, is that how this works? Well, let me tell you mister, it won't work that way. You won't get away with it. Now if you don't mind, hand it over. I am asking you nicely." her voice was cool and even, laced with just a hint of venom, holding her hand out expectantly.

Chronicler

The coyote glanced askance to be sure the bartender was busy hunting a shelf for what he had requested before tipping the purse over and dumping its contents into his satchel.

With a sly smirk, he tossed Adelaide the empty bag.

"Of course, I'm sure it has sentimental value. Far be it for me to take from you something so important to you," he said.

Ethereal-Star

Adelaide's eyes flashed in anger as she caught the now empty pouch.

"You little sneak!" she exclaimed loudly.

Some of the other patrons looked up in alarm from what they were doing to stare at the two, wondering what was going on. The ice mage looked at him, face full of cold fury. "I swear to you, I will get my money back!! Your little act of the niceties isn't going to work here coyote." She said the word 'coyote' with derision and scorn in her voice, not impressed by his unscrupulous actions in the slightest.

Adelaide's anger was barely controlled and soon enough, her emotions got the better of her and she began the hand gesture with a single incantation that would fuse the coyote's hands together, encasing them in ice. Provided Winter was able to somehow stop this from occurring, but that was doubtful according to the pissed off ice mage. Adelaide refused to put up with any more of his crap, she had had enough!

((If Winter is able to avoid this somehow, that is fine with me. However even if he isn't, the effects are only temporary.))

Chronicler

Winter stumbled back, overturning a stool, and fell across a table. Its contents shattered on the floor amidst the surprised shouts of the patrons.

"You're insane!" he shouted. The fear in his voice sounded completely genuine. "She attacked me! You all saw it!" He raised his hands, encased in ice.

He stood, giving a yelp of pain and leaning on the the man who's table he had just destroyed.  "Oww!" he half howled. "My leg. I think she broke my ankle! I travel for my living! What will I do now?"


Ethereal-Star

Adelaide watched all this transpire, her face a cool mask void of emotion, not the least bit concerned for the coyote. She was so incredibly tired of the drama, she just wanted it to end. Going over to Winter's bag that had fallen on the floor during the struggle, she took back her money while he was preoccupied with his frozen hands and injured ankle. The locals themselves were too shocked to do anything but stare.

"It's what you deserve, thief." she said in an even tone.

With that she walked briskly out of the tavern with all her belongings intact. She did not look back but kept her ears open for any retaliation attempts from the rogue himself.

Chronicler

"Someone stop her!" Winter pleaded. "Call the guards! She assaulted me and stole my money!"

The coyote limped pitifully after her. There was not a thing wrong with his ankle. Indeed he hadn't even been bruised. Knowing how to fall was vital to effective acting.

"Guards! Thief!" he shouted at the door, pointing after Adelaide, making a show of leaning against the wall as he stepped into the daylight. Raising his hands he slammed the ice block into the wall to shatter it.

((OOC: Temperamental people make such great marks.))

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