A Little Rain Doesn't Keep The Thieves Away [Amora Jade]

by **Therizo Tafos** on February 15th, 2014, 7:57 pm

Though the fact that the girl had eaten but a portion of her own apple rose some suspicions in Therizo, they were quickly allayed by the eruption of seemingly genuine laughter that his question provoked, and her reassurance that she was had no ill-intentions towards him.

"I'm glad to hear that; I was beginning to think that no one in this damned city could be trusted."

As he finished the statement, a cracking sound came from the house behind them, and then, a moment later, Jade stumbled backwards as the old wooden door behind her come open under her weight.

"Are you alright?" the platitude was about to come out of his mouth when the girl regained her footing, and looking back at him, proposed that they seize the opportunity and go inside.

Stepping into a place that was not his to inhabit or make use of made him feel uneasy, but he caved to her reasoning. It really wasn't going to hurt anyone, after all, the house was abandoned, and who could therefore blame them for sheltering inside from the downpour that was beginning to intrude upon the width bellow the roof they had been hiding under up till then.

He followed her inside and looked around the dimly lit room, closing the door behind him. The dust was layered thick upon the deteriorating wood that made up the flooring, and it squeaked slightly as he walked across it towards the table in the center. There, he pulled a chair that faced the wall next to the one with the hearth, and sat down. The ache of exhaustion that had faded to somewhere in the back of his mind, dispersed pleasantly up his legs, and he stretched widely, letting out a tired yawn. He lay the cane-disguised sword he had been carrying onto the table in front, and smiled at the thought of his former arms-master who had somehow imagined that a healthy man in his twenties walking around with a cane would be inconspicuous. After the moment of reflection, he returned his gaze back to Jade, who stood at the hearth.

"Do you have anything to light that thing with? Any kindling left in there?" Though it was better than outside, insofar as there was no rain, the walls of the house had not been able to keep the winter air from reaching in. "

by **Amora Jade** on February 27th, 2014, 3:45 am

Though the boy was the thief’s target, she couldn’t help but still watch her back as he followed her inside. The thought of being in a very poorly lit building with a stranger started gnawing at her nerves. She knew she wouldn’t be able to handle herself in a fight against him, not for long anyway. The small dagger she kept for protection had rarely ever been unsheathed, leaving Amora with very little knowledge of how to use it properly.

Once he took his position at the worn table and made himself comfortable, the girl fell to her knees in front of the hearth and dropped the backpack she scooped up as she made her way inside onto the ground.

“Do you have anything to light that thing with? Any kindling left in there?”

Amora fished around in her pack for the flint and steel she kept in the bottom. It was especially handy to keep it in there during the winter, or anytime really. Once she found it she squinted to see if there was anything to light. To her luck there were a couple logs and some bark that weren’t too badly burned down, and were sure to light once more.

“Yeah, they’s some wood’n there. I’ll try to light it up for us.” The thief took the tools in hand and began to scrape the flint against the steel. She kept the tools faced at a downward angle and held them very close to some thin bark that would ignite easily. After a few repetitions of increasing speed and strength, Amora produced a spark. The little glowing dot landed on the bark and immediately extinguished.

“Shoot..” Once more she began the ritual of scraping the flint against the steel, but this time she didn’t stop at one spark. She let a few red spots land on the bark before she stopped striking. Quickly, as she had witnessed her mother do to light their own hearth, she bent down and very gently began to blow on the sparks. A few ashes flew back at her and made her choke a bit, but she was careful not to cough towards the hearth in fear that the sudden air would kill the sparks. Amora bent back down and blew a bit more softly than she had the first time. Slowly a small flame formed and swallowed the piece of bark it grew from, the spread onto the next.

The thief couldn’t help but feel a bit proud of herself, even with the ashes coating her face. Amora took the damp hood from her pocket and wiped away the filth.

“There we go!” She stood and dusted her knees and hands, then looked around once more. All that she had seen before was all there was- just a hearth and worn table and chairs. It was a bit disappointing, she almost hoped there was a trap door or something she could come back to and raid on a different day.

The girl took her seat opposite of the boy. Amora studied him a bit and actually realized that he was carrying a cane. The whole time she had been so focused on tricking him that she hadn’t even noticed how odd it was for him to be walking with it.

“Say, is there somthin’ wrong with yer legs?”

OOCI’m so sorry about the delay, my baby is going through a colicy phase and it’s near to impossible to concentrate!

by **Therizo Tafos** on March 7th, 2014, 10:33 am

OOCSorry for the wait.

While Amora busied herself with kindling the hearth Therizo looked at her with curiosity. This girl, be it a beggar or whatever else, was his first Sunberthian interlocutor in some weeks, mostly due to his unease towards them, spurred by the encounter he had with a certain Akalak. This Akalak had endeavored to kill him because of his connection to the goddess of death, the mark of whom the assailant recognized on the palm of his hand.

“Perhaps I was wrong to have judged them all by him. This girl here seems amiable after all.”

When Amora managed to light the fire Therizo woke himself from the reflection to see her sit herself in a chair opposite to his own.

“Say, is there somthin’ wrong with yer legs?”

»You noticed then?« he said, and thought if it would be for the best to tell the truth or a white lie on this matter of little importance.

“If she is not what she seems, it would be best to tell the truth so as to dissuade her from attempting anything. If she is it would be best to do the same - It isn’t wise, after all, to begin a friendship with lies.”

“It’s a sword. I find that it’s smart to have one in a city such as this one. But you don’t have to worry yourself about that. It’s solely for self-defense. I’m not in the habit of picking fight for the sake of amusement.” He paused before continuing.

“But tell me about yourself. Since we’ll likely be stuck here for some time we might as well make conversation. What do you do to get by in the likes of Sunberth?”

It was not a test to verify her trustworthiness, but rather honest curiosity. He was not familiar with the different ways of making ends meet in the only kind of life that Sunberth offered - the hard life.

by **Amora Jade** on March 9th, 2014, 11:27 pm

The fire she had started in the hearth burned brightly, lighting up the building so that the two could see each other almost clearly. The warmth that emanated from it filled the space that was occupied by the brisk cold. The girl felt proud of her ability to light a fire with so little practice or knowledge of how to. Luckily living with her mother since she was young had given her enough observation time to know the basics.

Amora’s eyes grew wide for a moment when he said that his cane was only a false front for the sword it contained. She began to lose confidence that she would be able to take his coin easily, or that she would be able to take it at all. The thief tried to avoid people with obvious weapons she knew she couldn’t defend herself against.

“What do you do to get by in the likes of Sunberth?” That was a question she hoped he wouldn’t ask. There was no way she was going to be honest with him, of course; the thing she was worried about was being able to convince him she had some other “profession.”

The thief tried her best not to hesitate too much to keep from raising any suspicion. With a genuine smile she spilled her lies, “Imma cook at Pig’s Foot. I think stayin’ behind the scenes tends to keep me outta trouble. I’d rather not take my chances with the people of this city, otherwise I’d prob’ly be a waitress.”

Amora hoped she was convincing in her tale, and that her voice wasn’t too shaky. “I guess I can blame it on the cold it he notices..”

“It ain’t the most excitin’ job in the world, but it sure beats being groped by perverted old men.” She laughed a bit, both to confirm the joke and to ease her own nerves.

“Do ya like workin’ at the graveyard?” Changing the subject from her to him would be in her best interest, there was no way she was willing to tell him anything about her and his questions would make her nervous. Too many lies in one day would be hard to keep up with, and she’d be sure to slip up.

by **Therizo Tafos** on March 12th, 2014, 12:17 pm

There was a subtle quiver in her voice as she spoke of her job in an establishment she called 'Pig's Foot'. He supposed that it was probably due to the sword that lay on the table between them, and so took it and put it on the floor beside him to diffuse any tension that it's reveal might have caused.

»A cook? I would never have guessed looking at you.« he said, looking at her curiously, but added a smile to prevent any offense.

“It ain’t the most excitin’ job in the world, but it sure beats being groped by perverted old men.”

Therizo knew nothing of such problems, but understood nevertheless her reasoning. If not the old men, the brutes of Sunberth were likely all but scrupulous when it came to courting.

“Do ya like workin’ at the graveyard?”

The shifts at the graveyard were his favorite part of the day, notwithstanding the disconcerting state that it was in.

»I wouldn't ask for anything else at the moment. Though from where I come cemeteries tend to receive better treatment. The man charged with the Dust Bed seems to have little respect for the dead, though he receives them in heaps – or it might be that it's because of that.« He paused, looking at the door, beyond which the rain could be heard incessantly soaking the already over soaked earth.

»But forget that, I suppose that such things don't interest you much.« saying that, he rose from his chair and stepped to the entrance of their shelter, to see more closely the state of the weather.

»Doesn't seem to be stopping« he said, looking through the half open door, then turning back towards Amora offered a resigned smile and returned to the table, leaning with his back on the side that faced the door.

»You know, you're one of the first people I've spoken to that haven't tried to kill or rob me since my arrival to this city." he chuckled, then added in a more somber tone, "Life's hard here, and it warrants praise if one survives it.« the last words were said to no one in particular but chiefly at the dimness of the room.

»Let's hope I'll warrant it as well«

by **Amora Jade** on March 16th, 2014, 6:22 pm

After a slight moment of thinking about her tale, Amora realized how unbelievable it actually was. “A cook?! Why couldn’t I just say I was a whore or something? What if he asks me to make him something?!” A panicky feeling rose in her gut as she watched his facial expression to see if he would believe her.

Surprisingly he didn’t look angry or like he was going to challenge her story even after mentioning he wouldn’t think that by looking at the thief. A wave of relief washed over Amora when Therizo took the bait of a new conversation and changed the subject.

“I wouldn't ask for anything else at the moment.”

“What kind of person actually likes working around dead people?” The thought of being trapped in a graveyard with several dead bodies sent a chill down her spine. Amora could imagine the wretched smell and the creepy feeling that would come along with it. Nothing about a job like that seemed like it would appeal to any sane person, but he was completely right about the disrespect. Even with all of the bodies Jebediah could do a better job of organizing them and showing them the respect some of them deserved.

The man stood and walked to the door, Amora saw her chance and hopped up behind him quietly. As he took his steps to the entrance, the thief reached her greedy hand into the pocket that contained the coin and was able to grab onto a few. She stuck them in her pocket and returned to her seat the moment he turned his head to look back at her.

“You know, you're one of the first people I've spoken to that haven't tried to kill or rob me since my arrival to this city.”

Amora’s face turned a bit red as she smiled at him in the most innocent way she could. She really was just proving the city was nothing more than what people said of it.

"Life's hard here, and it warrants praise if one survives it.” Luckily he didn’t seem to suspect anything at all suspicious about her at the moment, hopefully he wouldn’t feel the need to check his pockets until after she was long gone.

“It is hard here, that’s why so many people are bad. It’s real hard to earn a honest livin’ when you walk outside and someone just takes it outta your pockets.” The thief’s face turned red again as she said the words. “Crap! Why did I say that?!”

“..I really do hope that rain lets up soon, if it don’t I gotta walk home in it. Momma will be worried if I don’t get there in the next bell. Do you got someone waitin’ on you?” Hopefully another conversation change would keep him from feeling the need to check his money. “I seriously need to watch what I say..”

OOCYou can decide how much was taken.

and @the grader: we agreed Amora would take a few coin before we began the thread, so I promise I’m not power-playing!

by **Therizo Tafos** on March 20th, 2014, 3:10 pm

Therizo vaguely noticed the blush that his words seemed to have kindled in his newfound acquaintance, but dismissed it as a response to a compliment - insofar as what he said could be interpreted as such. He gave a condoling smile at her sentiment, but his hand, as if by a reflex, slipped into the pocket of his coat and felt around for the coins that it expected to find there. The chime of a few silvers meeting piece of gold seemed to echo in the emptiness of the shelter, and Therizo's eyes doted quickly from his hand back to Amora. Though some mizas were still in it, the pocket was decidedly emptier than it had been when he last checked – of that he was certain, though unsure of the margin. Yet he did not wish to think that this amiable stranger would be the culprit of the crime, which itself did not move him as much as the tingling sensation that he had been deceived.

“I really do hope that rain lets up soon, if it don’t I gotta walk home in it. Momma will be worried if I don’t get there in the next bell. Do you got someone waitin’ on you?”

“Is she also a cook, Jade?” his voice now grew distant, with but a trace of the warmth and confidence with which he spoke before, and he pronounced the woman’s name as if doubtful of it. Then a feeling of uncertainty sunk into him, promptly turning into a pang of guilt.

“Perhaps… when I sat down” his eyes bolted to the ground underneath the chair opposite to Amora’s in the hopes of finding proof that this was but a misunderstanding – yet there was nothing there. He stepped closer and knelt on one knee by the chair, to see if he had missed something upon first inspection, but found nothing but dust. Standing back up, he grabbed his cane and returned his gaze to Amora, his face still.

“Tell me, what do you cook at ‘The Pig’s Foot? I might find myself fancied to visit,” the tone was cold and interrogatory, not at all a match with the amity of the words themselves.

OOCI didn't write it in the post because Therizo doesn't know the amount stolen, but let's say 1gm and 7sm

by **Amora Jade** on March 25th, 2014, 4:17 pm

OOCI guess this was easy to forget due to her first name being Amora and all, but she actually only told Therizo her last name: Jade. She does this with most strangers to keep a distance from them.

The metallic chime of the coins coming in contact with each other in the man’s pocket were a torturous sound to the thief. The only thing she prayed he would not do while she was still there was exactly the action he just performed, the realization that he was on to her was like a boulder in Amora’s stomach.

The thief looked to the door the moment Therizo began speaking, she knew what she had to do. As soon as she had the opportunity she was going to bolt of of that building like she was on fire.

“Is she also a cook, Jade?”

Amora swallowed and watched as the man inspected the space under the table, then got onto the ground to get a better look. The dark haired girl didn’t feel the need to answer his first question, it didn’t really seem like he was interested in another lie anyway. She shifted her weight from her bottom to her legs as she was getting ready to run out of the exit, but was stopped cold when her target stood again, holding him weapon.

The thief stared at the cane as if she thought the weapon itself would attack her.

“Tell me, what do you cook at The Pig’s Foot? I might find myself fancied to visit.”

Thus begins the interrogation, something Amora was known for losing her composure when being faced against. All the lies came to a crumbling end the moment the man stuck his hand into his pocket, and the torture of the fact was being dragged out longer as the thief found herself too afraid to run past the man while he was holding his weapon.

“Maybe another lie.. maybe I can fix this..” The thief already knew she had dug her own grave with the first series of untruths, but she needed to find a way out of the building without being harmed.

Amora stood and walked towards Therizo, then smiled up at him slightly. “I might’a lied a little bit.” The girl shrugged and laughed, rubbing the back of her head. “I di’n think an honest worker like yer’self would appreciate a girl like me.” Amora took her hand and ran it down the front of his jacket. “Ya see… I guess I’m pretty used to getting groped. I wish I could be a cook.”

It was crazy and very risky, but she was sure that it had to be one of the first things he thought of her when she approached him outside. It was another common ‘profession’ in Sunberth when it came to the women so it didn’t at all seem to her like too far fetched of an idea.

by **Avarice** on September 22nd, 2014, 9:32 pm

Succumb to Your Desires
.

Amora :

Therizo :

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