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 Posted: Sun Jul 06, 2014 1:54 pm
Palisade wasn't the sort of place Niamh preferred to linger, but the sway of heavy pockets proved far to tempting. She hadn't been in Sunderland for long, but she'd already decided that, if she could find a way to carve out some semblance of a living, she would stick around. Old Castle was a darling town, and she found the Wardwood to be as tantalizing as others found it frightening, but neither promised the ease of money, as Palisade had. Usually, on warm mornings and evenings, the young woman set up on a street corner with her lute, plucking sweet melodies for those who passed, hoping for scraps. On a good day, she made off well enough, but those days were far and few between, despite her talent.
Unwilling to undress for the extra money, Niamh had instead turned to pick-pocketing. It was a hobby she reserved for desperate times, and it was not something she had yet used in Sunderland. But her pockets were empty, her stomach clenched painfully with hunger, she slumbered on cobblestone the evening before, and she knew she couldn't play for coppers. No, she needed a hot bath, an even hotter meal, and then she would return to an honest living. Well...for the time being, anyway.
She felt a little guilty, standing off to the side as inexplicably as possible, surveying the crowd. What if she stole from a father who brought home barely enough to feed his children, or from a woman struggling to make a living? She didn't like people, couldn't trust them, but it didn't make her heartless. She could sympathize, though it wouldn't stop her. In Niamh's mind, Niamh came first.
Lips pursed, she decided she was going about this wrong. She was looking at those who passed as potential victims, and looking for to long allowed for hesitation. She needed to barrel forward, she couldn't think about it or look at the person, simply snatch and run. Yes, she nodded to herself, that was for the best. With the coin purse in hand, and no face to place it to, she could move forward without regret. Stepping away from the wall she had been leaning against, she inhaled deeply, and merged into the crowd, sliding against the first body she came into contact with - a tall, built man, though she refused to look up - and dipped her hand as subtly as she could into his pocket, moving to make off with anything she could slip between her fingers.
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Posted: Sun Jul 06, 2014 10:05 pm
Palisade. Though his his wayward sister may have been allowed to go where she would and do as she pleased for the past few years, it was not as though his family was willing to lose track of her entirely. Nor were they without their resources. They knew that while she still traveled extensively, Rajani had made a home of sorts for herself in the capitol. They knew that this was where she returned and where she had been seen more often than not of late. They knew that this was where her new little project was stationed. It was only natural, then, that this was the place they should seek her out.
Savitr had gone ahead of his father, being more nimble on his own and the more likely between the pair of them to be able to slide back into her life. It was far past time for the living members of the Misra clan to reunite. Savitr had come to make that happen, regardless of what his sister may have to say about the matter.
All things considered, it was actually rather convenient for him that she was not in the city at present. It gave him time to get his bearings and take care of a few little errands before he greeted her. After all, it was better to face her fully prepared than to be caught unawares. He liked to use every advantage he could get.
For the moment, however, the tall Romani man found himself wandering the streets of one of the city's various markets. It was hardly the first time he had been to Palisade, but it never hurt to familiarize oneself with any potential changes. Besides, he had a little time yet before he made his first appointment in the city. May as well enjoy himself while he waited.
Only imagine his surprise when he felt the telltale mark of an attempt at the contents of his pockets. It was not often he was targeted, which was just as well. It saved him the trouble of teaching would-be thieves the grievous error of their ways. This time, however, he was intrigued.
Quick as a snake, he slipped his own hand into his pocket, emerging with a delicate, feminine hand in his grasp. His hold was not bruising, but neither was it yielding. She would not be getting free without a fight. His emerald eyes followed the line of her arm up to her shoulders and face, down her body and back up again, taking his sweet time.
"My, what a lovely thing," he observed with a smile - for indeed, the lady was quite comely with her bright blue eyes and that luscious cascade of near-silver hair. "May I ask what you're doing in my pockets? And without even buying me a drink first - how bold." He knew, of course, the most probable reason he had found her hand there. But he wondered how she would react to being caught out.
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Posted: Tue Jul 08, 2014 7:36 pm
Niamh recoiled with an indignant hiss, a sharp inhale through bared teeth. She threw her weight back, tugging to free her hand, but though the man's grip wasn't bruisingly tight, she still found herself to be to weak to escape. She stumbled in her attempt, but his hold kept her upright, and with flushed cheeks, she righted herself, standing at arms length from the man, her fingers wiggling.
From here, she could see the man in his entirety. He was tall, so tall, and his rugged handsomeness reminded her of her past love in a way that made her heart clench. Attractive, though clearly much older than she, and the way he took his time surveying her body made her skin crawl. She was fighting panic now, unwilling to show him she was afraid. Clamping down on her escalating emotions, Niamh forced a slow exhale through her nose, and focused on finding a way out the difficult problem she had forced her way into out of desperation.
She could lie, certainly, but she doubted he would believe her, and what sort of tale would she weave to deceive him anyway? It was pretty obvious what she had been attempting. She could try to fight, or scream rape, but she didn't want to risk the attention of the police. Mulling her options over, she realized she had very few, if any. Luck or God or whoever or whatever existed to watch over them had clearly turned a blind eye to Niamh in that moment. She had been caught and she was screwed.
After a second of hesitation, she realized that all she could really do was to tell the truth. Maybe the man would sympathize, and she'd be let free with a simple slap on the wrist. She could live with that, and next time, she'd be more careful on who she attempted to rob. With a mental shrug, she spoke, her tone heavily laced with hostility. Don't play coy - you know precisely what I was doing there." It occurred to her then that she could try her hand at seduction. Flirting didn't come easy to her, but supposed the term "fake it until you make it" applied here wonderfully.
With her free hand, she swept her long hair back so that it caught the sunlight - she'd caught him eyeing it, and played to that weakness - and exhaled some of the tension from her muscles, and allowed her captured hand to cease it's freeing attempts. "A poor girl has got to eat...You can hardly blame me." She took a step closer, despite her mind's screaming protests. "Rather than turn this into an unfortunate situation, perhaps we can come to some form of compromise? Company for coin?" A better alternative to jail...or a missing limb.
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Posted: Wed Jul 09, 2014 1:03 pm
Savitr watched with amusement as she struggled to free herself and failed miserably. When she gave it up and snapped at him, his smile widened a touch. Feisty little thing, wasn't she? If she felt any fear at being caught, she was damn well not going to show it to him. He could respect that. Reminded him of another young woman he knew - all beauty and fire and steel. It made him look a little more kindly on this one than he may otherwise have.
Her attempt at seduction was admittedly entertaining - if she put a little more heart in it, she might really have something going when she was a little older. With his free hand, he captured her chin and tilted her face up even as he leaned down. At first it seemed as though he might kiss her, but he moved past her lips and paused by her ear. "Don't start games you aren't prepared to finish, sweetheart," he murmured. Then he pulled back and ruffled her hair.
"You'll not be getting my coin," he informed her. "But clearly you're in need of a little help, which I may be willing to offer. Out of the goodness of my heart, of course."
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Posted: Tue Aug 12, 2014 4:41 pm
He seemed to consider her offer - at the very least, he was considering something. She waited, heart hammering, and when he caught her chin and leaned in, her defenses were immediately on high alert. The urge to strike him was strong, but she locked her jaw and steeled herself for what she had signed herself up for. Thankfully, he bypassed her lips and whispered a friendly warning instead, before drawing back. Niamh exhaled deeply, all of the air rushing out through her nose with pure relief. She would have utterly deflated, if it hadn't made her look weak. Instead, she glared, patting her hair back down.
"I am not a child. Nor do I need your pity." She retorted stubbornly; it was her knee jerk reaction, to deny aid offered. God she wished she had managed to successfully swipe his coin purse, or that she had chosen someone else. Then she could be off and relying on her stolen goods, rather than "the kindness of his heart".
But with her personal space regained, she was feeling far more comfortable, and thus, more apt to think reasonably. Starving, cold, broke...How much longer could she make it on her own? She didn't know anyone in this new world, and maybe this was her chance to change that...Squaring her shoulders, she shook her hair back and, nonchalantly, said, "But, if you're offering, I see no need to refuse. Just...no funny business." She glared pointedly, crossing her arms.
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Posted: Thu Aug 14, 2014 5:09 pm
He chuckled at her brass. First she offered; then she pointedly forbid it. Though of course the circumstances were a little different. Ah, but she was a feisty thing. "No need to worry. I don't waste my time on pity." Though it may, perhaps, be more accurate to say that he did not have enough compassion to pity anyone. He preferred to say that people were either too strong to need it or they weren't worth the effort.
"I'll not be giving you any handouts, either," he added. "But I'm willing to give you a lesson."
The idea had been half in his head since he had fished her hand out of his pocket. Well. It had been a minor option that was quite unlikely to happen, but since he had decided that he liked her, he was happy enough to oblige. As it stood, it was one of only three possibilities that would have ended favorably for the would-be pickpocket. He rather thought her lucky.
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