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 Posted: Sun Sep 21, 2008 4:11 pm
Mikaril made his way down an abandoned alleyway, his ears open for any sign of treachery in the shadows, as there tended to be. He still found himself shackled to his city and under the watch of his sister's tracking spell, but he seemed less bothered by it now. There were plenty of opportunities to take advatage of in such a fragmented city as Undrek'Thoz, and he wasn't hampered by the rule that human thieves followed about 'messing your nest'.
As he emerged into the street, he noticed that in one part of the street off to his right, a crowd was gathered around a stand where a merchant was hawking wares that were all spider-themed, no doubt for the upcoming celebration. Mikaril's eyes widened and his nimble fingers began to twitch. Crowds often meant purses and endless jostling, both of which served him well as a thief. He edged closer to the crowd, and waited until he had at least two purses safely dropped into his magical satchel and transported before even pretending to be another interested bystander, as the drow merchant began showing off a set of rather badly-made goblets, of which he claimed that elven blood poured therein made them give off the most wondrous colors.
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Posted: Mon Sep 22, 2008 8:33 am
Naddaer smiled to himself as he happened upon the market, this is what he had been looking for! The days, weeks perhaps, before he had been wandering through the Underdark and had came upon the city off...Undrek'Thoz. He remembered that it was close to the time of celebration and wanted to be far from the last city he had been in. The market looked as though it was starting to pick up, there was a stand down from him that had quite a few people looking at all of the spider-themed wears. Naddaer shrugged, having no use for such things and put his bag down that had his few belongings.
Reaching into his pocket he produced four crystal balls, three of which were a green/blue color and one that was more blue. For a little, he juggled the crystals, tossing them into the air and made them look as though they were suspended in air. This wasn't real magic though, it was all tricks and slight of hand. He sighed as he realized no one today cared of his magic, so he pocketed the three crystals and kept the blue one out. He also picked his bag up and started to walk. Perhaps he could make money some other way for now, seeing how there were such many people in the market now.
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Posted: Mon Sep 22, 2008 4:22 pm
Mikaril's interest held at the goblets, but when the merchant moved on to a gaudy bright robe emblazoned with spiders and looking like it had been sewn together by a drider, his interest diminished, and he found his eyes wandering through the crowds at waist level, looking for telltale bulges and listening for the slightest clink.
A sudden glint caught his eye and he turned his head just in time to see a crystal rise in the air and fall somewhere at the edge of the crowd. Curious, he carefully edged his way past the throng to see a drow holding a blue crystal and walking about. His eyes stayed riveted to the crystal; probably not worth any ordinary thief's trouble, but Mikaril was always drawn to prizes that were the highest in the eyes of the victims, not of the villains. The male seemed to prize the crystals, for he recalled seeing at least two when he brought the image back inside his head. He probably wouldn't be able to make off with them all, but maybe just one....?
He hunched down slightly and began to slink through the crowd, keeping the male and his crystal in sight. Crowds always made good camoflauge.
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Posted: Mon Sep 22, 2008 5:17 pm
Shifting through the crowds with ease, Naddaer had already acquired a few money pouches. He did not resort to this normally, but he was in need of food and he only took what he needed. Stopping, he glanced around the market and noticed that it had really picked up, perhaps he could try his juggling again soon.
Currently he only had his blue crystal out and was rolling it around with one hand, sometimes switching it to his other hand as he walked. Naddaer's movements stopped as he watched a merchant pull out a hideous looking robe. Oh yes, the Lloth celebration was coming up wasn't it. He never did really like the goddess. The...unusual craftsmanship made one of his brow raise, would someone really buy that. Staying were he was, he watched the merchant pull out a hideous pair of shoes that looked like a giant spider was stuck to ones foot. His ears twitched for a moment when he heard a clink of money nearby, sounded like someone coming his direction had some extra money.
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Posted: Mon Sep 22, 2008 5:58 pm
Following the drow, Mikaril noted at least once the absence of purses on the members of the crowd that bumped against him. He raised his eyebrows, and continued to watch the male closely, almost becoming riveted by his rolling about the crystal one-handed. A magician? he thought. He had seen drow performing on the streets; they had been wonderful at drawing crowds for him to prey upon. Granted, some did get blamed for his sticky fingers when they made to toss a coin and found an empty belt, but that was just the way it goes.
He risked a glace as the merchant began to wave a perfectly hideous pair of shoes around, and his eyes shone with mirth. Those would look so nice on Haellara, he thought gleefully. She always did wear the gaudiest things.
He grinned as he pulled another purse, albeit a small one, and turned his attention back to the magician just in time to notice the other's ears twitching, and with only a few drow separating him from the drow and his crystals, he opened his own ears to catch the telltale sound. Hearing nothing, he shrugged and dropped the purse into his satchel. It sounded like a few of the coins came loose and jangled around before they vanished, but he assumed the tiny noise would be lost in all the ruckus.
Flexing the fingers of his left hand, he waited until it seemed like the male was distracted by something else, and brushed up against him lightly, his hand reaching into the other's pocket.
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Posted: Mon Sep 22, 2008 8:09 pm
Naddaer was a magician, or at least an aspiring one to say the least. He longed to be an illusionist, to stop doing the silly little tricks he knows and to do real ones. It was the little tricks that did bring crowds though and to him some coin. And when he lacked those crowds, he wandered into these ones where he happened upon more coin. The male chuckled when the merchant next pulled out a matching and just as strange headpiece to the shoes, really who made these things.
He had just barely heard the sound of the coins dropping into the other's ruckus, you could say his ears were trained to listen for the sound of money. His fingers twitched in the anticipation of perhaps more coin for himself. A thought crossed his mind and he turned his head slightly away as the other came close and brushed against him. The pocket the other had reached into had few loose coin in it. Naddaer in turn took the opportunity to reach into a pocket of the other.
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Posted: Mon Sep 22, 2008 8:33 pm
Mikaril frowned slightly as his fingers brushed against money instead of crystals, but he figured as long as he had his fingers in, he might as well try his luck. Then again, he hesitated, if he pulled out now and the drow didn't know he had just tried to rob him, he might be able to get away without a fuss. He poked his tongue out slightly, trying to weigh his options as fast as he could.
He suddenly blinked as he felt movement near his side, where his satchel was. He saw the ebony hand, and was surprised even further when he saw in the blink of an eye who it was attached to. The robbee was robbing the robber! What an amusing day this was turning out to be.
Grinning from ear to ear, he stopped walking, leaned in, and whispered in the male's ear, "You won't find anything in there; try another."
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Posted: Mon Sep 22, 2008 8:53 pm
Naddaer kept his crystals in pockets that were hidden on the inside of his robes just for the purpose of keeping them closer. A grin came across his face when he had realized that the male that brushed past was trying to pick his pocket at the same time as he, how ironic. It also seemed that he was disappointed with the coin he had found, was he looking for something else, he wondered.
How amusing it was that two of the same were trying to rob one another. When he heard the other whisper he chuckled for a moment. "Well this is certainly interesting. Thanks for the advice. But, if you were looking for my crystals, I keep them in a different pocket as well." His hand left the other's pocket quickly and he turned to look at the other male.
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Posted: Mon Sep 22, 2008 9:33 pm
Mikaril chuckled as he watched the male square up and face him. He sized him up quickly; notghing particularly unusual about him that he saw, but there was something about him he liked. Maybe it was just the moxy of robbing a thief.
He snapped his fingers lightly. "And I was so looking forward to getting a closer look at those." He adjusted his satchel so that it was out of sight and out of reach. "I wouldn't have recommended keeping my hand in there for a while; I myself only put my hand in there if I have to. No telling what might happen, with magic and all." He winked and folded his arms loosely. "So, haven't seen you about; are you passing through?" He let his smile vanish slightly. "Because this is where I make my profession, and it's small size can make it seem......crowded to two thieves."
In truth he was mostly talk; he was inwardly thrilled at finding another with the same profession; his sister always spoke badly of thieves and rogues, but sometimes gave him the impression that the choice itself was freakishly rare. Besides, he was still curious about the crystals.
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Posted: Tue Sep 23, 2008 5:54 pm
Naddaer looked at the other as he turned around. How interesting how he seemed to be a thief but had some armor on as well. Something seemed familiar about him. He grinned a bit. "Well I'm sorry to say that this is the closest you can see them." Nadd looked at the others bag for a moment, something did seem rather magical about it. "Thanks for the warning I guess, it would be a shame for me to loose a hand." He grinned again and chuckled. "Me, I'm a wandered, I do not call anyplace home. Do not worry, I'm not here to take your crowds. Unless they enjoy the magic I do."
Normally, it would be some time til Naddaer would find himself in a city he'd been to already. It did take some time to travel in the Underdark. He flipped his crystal around on his hand for a moment. "So was it my crystals you were interested, or perhaps my other profession you'd just discovered."
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Posted: Tue Sep 23, 2008 6:31 pm
Coming to the startling discovery that he liked this male too much to rob him, Mikaril decided there was little harm in truth-telling. He had learned that telling the truth, to a point of course, could be more powerful than an army of lies. In this case, he would just have to be aware of what truths he told.
"Magic, huh. Knew there was something interesting about you." He offered one of his best disarming smiles. "Mainly your crystals. I've an eye for shiny things, and I don't see too many crystals that shape. So, you do some sort of magic with those crystals?" He didn't like to admit it, but magic held a bigger interest than it ought to with him. Despite the fact that it was his sister's favorite brand of torture, and often it was his worst enemy when he was robbing houses, and even the occasional pocket-picking (purse alarms and noise-making money were two trends he saw progressing more rapidly than he liked).
Still, there was something about it that appealed to him, and not as a means of gaining power. Most of his interest was for either practical use (like the silent charm upon his armor) or private pleasures, and he had an inward glimpse of soft red velvet petals and the gentle scent of roses. He blinked once and focused on Naddaer.
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Posted: Wed Sep 24, 2008 8:40 pm
Naddaer grinned and rubbed his empty hand against the back of his head. "Well, I seem to have a talent for magic that comes out when it pleases. Really, I need to get proper schooling to control it." This was true, his magic seemed to come out when he need it most and powerful it was though he had quite some trouble getting it under control. If only he could find a house to take him in. "Well my crystals are very shiny and special indeed. My, uh, previous house had them but they ended up in my pockets before I left." Something about this other drow felt almost like he could trust him, as far as drow go. His bluer crystal rolled around his hand. "This one, I believe, holds some sort of magic power. I can feel it and draw upon it sometimes during tricks. Though it feels... incomplete." He grinned and took out three other crystals. "Though I can do this." The three green/blue crystals spun around in his palm, his fingers barely moving. He then added the blue one on top and started to spin them all. Nadd did tend to like to show off when it was acceptable, truly it seemed as though the crystals floated in place as they moved almost eerily.
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Posted: Wed Sep 24, 2008 8:54 pm
Mikaril looked genuinely interested, even managed a roguish smile at the other's mention of the crystals 'ending up' in his pocket. He after all was guilty of that particular accident at least a dozen times in his own House. He wondered just how much this one had in common with him. Wouldn't it be something, he mused, if we had both been earmarked for warriors?
"Sounds like your House didn't know what it lost; even male magic users are useful." He shrugged and smiled rather sloppily. "I'd put my own House up as an option for you, but....." once again he lowered his voice and assumed that secret-telling air, "I think even a goblin would turn down our place." That is if it wasn't killed first by his violent and brutal siblings.
He watched the crystals with the wonder of a small human child being shown a magic trick. He liked how they shone, and how they moved about with the liquid grace that he was constantly trying to achieve in his profession. He resisted the urge to reach out and touch one, to ensure that it was the drow holding them, and not some form of magic causing them to float and move about like that. The way they moved......it looked almost like they formed a flower.
He looked up at Naddaer and smiled. "That's really nice. Do you ever use that for.....you know.....'acquiring contributions?'"
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Posted: Fri Sep 26, 2008 8:32 pm
Naddear shrugged and grinned a bit. Quite a few things had ended up in his pockets before he had left his house. "Well my house was a bit odd. Usually, males that have quick fingers and reflexes such as mine are to be trained in weapons, but I knew I had magic." He chuckled at the offer. "Heh, well like you said, this crowd isn't big enough for two such as us, so neither would your house." At the moment, he was currently searching for himself anyway, so he wouldn't be in this place very long. The crystals spun about for a few more moments before they seemed to disappear among his robes. Well that last part may have been some magic that was involved. "Well, yes, normally my income comes from performing on the streets. It is when that doesn't, I acquire my income in the other way."
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Posted: Sat Sep 27, 2008 9:01 pm
Mikaril cocked his head. "You don't say.....males in my house have a tendency to be 'elected' for the way of the warrior; my path was chosen mostly for avoiding such a fate." He had always hated the idea of running around with pointy objects engaging anything that moved. Sure it was a way of conquering and causing the utmost chaos, but it was also a way to broadcast yourself to the entire Underdark and leave yourself open to the other fighter out there somewhere who winds up being better than you. With a thief, most of them are seldom seen, so there was no way of knowing who was better, and so long as each one had their own territory to prey off of, few of them wasted the energy trying to find out.
He watched the crystals vanish, curbing the urge to reach his hand out to them and try to bring them back. He looked up at Naddear and grinned a mischevious grin. "Have you ever enlisted someone to 'acquire the income' during your performance? Not from among the closer crowd of course, since then the acts would be linked to you, but a gathering does well to slow traffic through a street, and those who just slow down to see what is going on wouldn't link a stolen money pouch to something they stopped and looked at for less than a minute."
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