Completed Taking a Step Into Darkness

[Shikoba]

1st of Spring, 513 AV - Sixth Bell - Lady's Lap Shikoba rolled onto her side, eyes closed, and groaned. Her mind was beginning to awaken, greatly disagreeing with the rest of her, which seemed to be weighed down by some invisible force. Groaning again, she began to slowly open her eyes, only to wince and close them again. "Mmmm..." Sighing, she tried again, this time, pushing herself into a sitting position. Before she could change her mind, she swung her legs to the side of the bed in her single room. She had arrived at the first bell, but her mind did not seem to want any rest. Resigned, Shikoba rose to her feet. Brushing her fingers through her thick, black hair, she moved slowly towards the basin she had filled with her water skin, preparing for the day ahead. A while later, she walked down to the lower levels of the Lady's Lap, nodding to one of the maids on her way up. She frowned slightly when the maid quickened her passe, though she could not entirely blame her. The fully black eyes of the Chaktawe tended to unnerve most people. Shrugging to herself, she walked into the kitchen, following a mouthwatering sent, and nodded to the second maid, who smiled absently as she heaved a sack of some ingredient into storage. A wave of heat washed over her skin, reminding her of the open sands, however, it had a slightly herbs and spiced scent. Turning her attention to the one creating the delicious sent, she smiled. "Good morning," she said, her tone not betraying her exhaustion in the slightest. The person in question, an old man of the Eypharian people, the owner of the inn, stood by a dish containing fresh loaves of bread. He greeted her in much the same manner, clearly concentrated on the task at hand; making enough breakfast for the clientele. Shikoba had met him, Sabaf, only about five bells earlier, and had paid for a thirty-night stay. She counted out two silver mizahs, and was rewarded with a light morning meal. Taking her prize with her, she thanked Sabaf, and stepped out into the street. - Three Bells Later - It had occurred to her that having no source of income, she would be in a dangerous position in the future, and so, she had searched for a place that would hire her. Employer after employer took one look at her, and sent her on her way. The few that listened to what she had to say, smiled and said that they could not afford to hire someone who had only just entered the city. How could they trust someone of whom no one knew anything about? Eventually, she had stopped trying, pausing to rest at the docks. That was where she came to decide her work. Wandering down the pier, something caught her attention out of the corner of her eye. Turning her head a fraction, she noticed a person trailing behind someone who appeared to be a sailor. As she watched, the person who was trailing, a young boy, slipped by his target. At the moment, the sailor was busy flirting with a merchant's daughter, a pretty little thing, who's father was so busy with his customers that he had forgotten her for the moment. As the boy passed by, his hand snaked out, plucking something from the sailor's person, and continued on, as if nothing had happened. A few moments later, the merchant seemed to remember his daughter, catching sight of her and the sailor, his face darkening visibly at what he saw. His daughter, unaware of her companion's impending doom, giggled at something her suitor had said. Though she was aware that she was staring, Shikoba couldn't seem to look away, though she made sure to stay out of the way of the workers, waiting to see if the victim of the little theft would realized he'd been robbed. Shikoba had to admit that the sailor was rather attractive, in a rough, daring way. However, the pale tone his skin took on when he saw the fuming merchant did not suit him, turning his sun induced tan slightly ashy. By the time the merchant had come upon them, his daughter had finally realized her suitor's distress, and turned to face him. Ignoring the girl, her father came up to the sailor, and despite being a whole head shorter than the sailor, the merchant was clearly a man who was used to people listening to him. Giving the sailor a once over, he gestured to where his wares were being taken to be transported into the city, seeming to be testing the other man's coin purse. The sailor reached for his coin, and froze. That was when Shikoba realized what the boy from earlier had lifted. A slow smile spread across her lips, an idea blooming in her mind.

[Shikoba]

10th Bell A while later, she found herself in one of the busier areas in the market, servants and city dwellers looking for the best deals and going about their business while merchants and store owners called out their wares. She walked near the sides of the street, averting her eyes from the gazes of others, instead moving her attention to their movements instead, as well as their pockets and belts. Of course, she tried not to be too obvious about it, often pausing to look at booths and shops here and there, covertly allowing her gaze to wander. However, soon she found that as long as she did not turn to directly face them, they seemed to note notice her look. This was likely due to that fact that her eyes were completely black, so she lacked the telltale pupils that would normally give the direction of her gaze away. 'Hmmm...' she thought after discovering this, '.. this could be... useful...' playing with this new tid bit of information. Slipping back into the street, she experimentally took off a glove and was immediately hit with sensations as her finger tips picked up the slightest movement in an approximate thirty feet radius. Hastily, she slipped the glove back on, holding herself still for a moment to relax. The Chaktawe had half expected this result, but had tried anyway. "Well, that won't work," she murmured quietly in her native tongue, almost inaudible to those around her. Looking around, she noticed fruit stand seemingly managed by one person, a Benshira by the looks of it. It seemed an easy mark, with a small group of customers crowding around to mostly one side. Approaching, no one gave her much attention, the shop owner concerning herself with her customers as they tried to decide what to buy. A few feet away, a light breeze brushed her hair as she angled herself so that she would walk near the fruit stand, seeming to glance over the fruit as she passed. Thinking quickly, she knew that if she were to attempt to slip out a few coins, they would be soon missed, which would lead conflicts to arise; not exactly a smart move out in the open hours of daylight, especially in such a public area. At her angle, there was one spot that was blocked from the owner's view, and Shikoba eyed it, her eyes darting around her, in search for any spectators. Finding none, she kept her moderate passe, and in the blink of an eye, she let her hand snake out, snatching one of the top fruit in order to avoid distrubing the others around it, returning her hand into the folds of her robes. She held her breath, waiting for someone to call her out as she walked around the group of customers, her heart in her throat. Shikoba forced herself to act calmly, barely bringing herself to look at the shop owner, nodding and smiling in return to her polite smile, and continued walking. She made herself relax her muscles, which had tensed slightly, hoping that no one had seen her stiffen slightly. It was only once she had turned onto the next, narrow and deserted street that she allowed herself to breath, leaning against the wall of one of the sandy buildings. In the shadows, she slumped a bit, slowly taking her gloved hand out from the folds of cloth, where she hide her prize. Staring at it, her mind went blank for a few moments, not fully comprehending what she had just done. Coming to her senses, her eyes widened slightly, a sight that would have most likely intimidated anyone on the streets. Realization dawned on her, along with mixed emotions at her accomplishment. She was thankful that no one had called out on her, or made a scene, but she felt a coldness spread through herself at the thought of her having stolen, as well as a chilled thrill raising the hairs on her neck. She stared down at her prize for a few moments more, aware that Rinathwa did not appear to be present for the time being. Her stomach growled softly, calling attention to the fact she had only eaten a light breakfast. Hesitatingly, she bit into the unremarkable fruit, its light, sweet taste spreading across her tongue. "Mmm..." she murmured, enjoying the slightly bitter aftertaste. A few chimes later, there was nothing left but the seeds, which she tucked into her tunic, though she could fathom why she felt the urge to. Perhaps they would be a reminder of her first theft... After all, it had been a tasty apple.

[Caelum]

Thread Award Name: Shikoba. Skills: Observation +1 Detection +1 Larceny +1 Stealth +1 Lores: Lure of Larceny Notes: Please delete or edit your post with this thread link in the grade request thread if able and, as ever, don't hesitate to contact me with any questions, concerns, or cobbler.