The Mystery of the Missing Silk Skirt

by **Gad** on April 8th, 2014, 6:34 am

Gad considered. Despite her endearing nature, he wasn't out to impress her. It wasn't like she had much to offer, aside from that nubile young body of hers. She seemed awfully trusting, he noticed, and quick to want to be liked, too. He let his eyes roll over her when she was preoccupied with the woman and her, brothers? Gad did a quick double take. Yeah, he could see that. Poor bastards. He rather enjoyed being an only child- to his knowledge. If his father or mother had any more seed wriggle around Mizahar he was glad to be ignorant of them. That was neither here nor there, though. This Lenz person; she might be useful. Gad was always good at keeping a low profile, and making his business was his own. This girl, though, she seemed like someone he could- not "trust"- no, but rely on, perhaps. A mage, in Sunberth, would never trust anyone. It was paranoia, it was good health. He pulled himself from the musings when she offered that he might distract them. "Huh, yeah, with what, screams of 'please, please don't perforate my liver!'?" He hunched over with a laugh.

"Oh, you're serious? Well. I guess. The girl probably knows you're the one she stole it from, she was probably watching you. And she saw me, back there, but she hasn't seen us together yet. Yeah- yeah, that might actually work. Alright, I'm going in, so keep an eye out, and be ready to snatch that skirt." Gad pushed her away from him, and then he took a circuitous path to further distance himself from the redhead. He eventually got a good ways around and approached the men. He didn't move as if he was walking towards them, but as if it was his intention to walk past them. Before he approached he reached into his pocket and tumbled his dice over in his hand, and pulled them out. He started bouncy the little green blocks in his palm. This was stupid. It really was. Whatever. Before he got to the men, he looked up as if he just had noticed them and smiled friendly, and nodded, before averting his eyes back to the ground. One of the brothers had nodded back.

After taking a few steps past them, Gad spun on his heels. "Excuse me, but you gents wouldn't know the direction to the Tavern would you? I'm a merchant you see, traveling with a trader's ship to this fine city, and- heh, this is embarrassing- I seemed to have lost my way? Well, we were all supposed to meet up back at the tavern with our earnings, but I've forgotten what it's called! Ahaha, what was it now, the uh- the Fish Foot?" Gad rubbed the back of his neck and laughed. "You locals have the strangest names for your establishments. Either way, I really better get there and turn in all this coin I've earned, before I gamble it away. They others almost left me in Zeltiva the last time that happened- of course, they didn't, had to spend the better part of the next two days selling, but you know me! Sell sell sell is my motto-''

"-That way." One of the brothers said humorlessly. Gad nodded and smiled.

"That way, thank you, I'll be on my way."

"Wait now, hold up," it was the other brother "I see you've got you dice there, fancy a game? Just a friendly crap shoot, nothing serious." They brothers shared a quick and devious look, Gad noticed, though they thought he didn't. The wizard smiled a genuine grin at the invitation, but not for the reason the pair would think.

"I really mustn't, I've got to get back and, well..." He faltered in his speech, as if his words were caught, and his voice went faint and scratchy and he got a far off look in his eyes. His acting was, well, sub-par, but the important aspect was that the two of them wanted to believe it. They wanted to believe a fool with too much coin came along just then to relieve himself of it, and that they were really the clever ones, and not the ones getting hustled. The better part of the con was just letting them believe that.

"Why sure you do, but say, why not just stick around friend? Roll a few rounds with us, they'll wait, if you're the seller you say you are right? Sides, you said you wasn't from around here, what better way to get a taste of the local color?"

"Well, I guess... I mean, I suppose, when you put it like that, it's-... well, it's hard to resist." The large man with the skirt tossed nonchalantly on the ground and stepped away from it towards Gad. With their backs now to Lenz, the two men squatted on the ground across from Gad, and started to wipe the pebbles and such from the dirt. Gad knelt down and rolled the dice across the ground.

"Hey pal, seeing as how it's our city and all, why don't you let my brother here roll first, just in case your dice are really lucky or some such, you know. It's just tradition around here." Gad did his best solemn face and nodded.

"Yes, of course. Go ahead." He chuckled. "By all means gentlemen, use up every lucky roll those dice've got in them."

Character sheet · by **Lenz** on April 9th, 2014, 5:18 am

ooc :

Oh, his sense of humour. The words he said and the tone of voice he used just made Lenz’s stomach hurt, but not in the bad way. She didn’t feel sick to her stomach like she would when in a pinch or when she was sick with a cold. No, it was a feeling of comfort.

Of course, as soon as she let herself slide, as soon as she opened herself up to someone, she slammed the door shut. Right in his face, she did, yet she didn’t show it as obviously as she would have liked. Sure, she still played along, but she slowly became more wary.

He was acting almost too friendly and she had never come across anyone such as that without wanting something in return. She was not a play toy. She was not a doll to be taken advantage of. If you were to pull her strings, make her talk or do things she didn’t please to be doing, she would lash out on her own terms of defense. She wouldn’t be manipulated for others’ desires. She was a human being with feelings, emotions, thoughts and opinions of her own.

If this Gad person was just playing along in hopes of finding something in return, then she wouldn’t have it. It was the way he moved, the way he talked, the way he so willingly emphasized his help. Anyone else would have turned away and left her alone to do whatever she wanted.

Unless, she kept pondering, unless he was naturally warm hearted and generous. But if that were the case, then how had he wandered himself into such a ghastly city of disappointment, bloodshed and tears?

She shook her head, allowing the façade to fall gracefully over her face again like the shroud of mystery it always was.

"Huh, yeah, with what, screams of 'please, please don't perforate my liver!'?"

She shot him a look, but not one of hostility, or confusion. It was of curiosity with a little strictness tossed in there. This was a serious matter! Of course someone’s life wasn’t in the balance, but silk was valuable and that woman had just stolen it from under Lenz’s nose.

“The girl probably knows you're the one she stole it from, she was probably watching you. And she saw me, back there, but she hasn't seen us together yet.”

That was true. She hadn’t thought of that before now. Perhaps he was of beneficial purposes, more so than she had initially assumed. She was a poor judge when it came to people, but she hoped that was soon to change after today.

It came to her in a wave of relief when he acknowledged her, accepting her proposal and taking the lead. She was glad to see him leave, whether or not his hand had landed subconsciously on her breast in an attempt to make her move.

She huffed and watched him leave, narrowing her eyes in terms of seeing what he would do. What was his game plan? What was his motivation? What was reeling in his mind at that exact moment in time? The two hadn’t thought of anything else together besides that one idea and it was just an idea- lingering in the air randomly.

Lenz rolled her eyes and watched for a few chimes. It was incredible! The way he spoke so fluently as lies continuously rambled off his tongue as smooth as butter. She couldn’t help but smile and watch some more. He was a true born liar, a fake, someone who could easily twist someone’s arm without much effort. He was acting so well and what was that in his hand? A prop? Marvelous!

Not too long ago the man had acted cocky, but now he was really putting Lenz in her place with his nice demonstration of pretend. He was playing with the man and it was a show full of entertainment. Although, she didn’t have much time to spare. The other man was walking away with something that belonged to her.

She watched him go, her eyes never wavering from the path he walked. She took one last glance and then raced around one or two of the buildings before emerging at a slow gait in front of him.

He didn’t know what she looked like, for only the woman knew, unless she had described her persecutor. Hopefully the former was truer than the latter. She would hate for this plan to be demolished under the weight of human error. Assumptions were a bastard to her when it came to things such as this.

She decided to test out her own acting capabilities. She had never done it before, but an idea had already popped into her head.

“My,” she started, never fully making eye contact with the tall and muscular brute before her. “That is wonderful attire you have there. Is it a dress?”

The man scowled and grumbled something hardly inaudible, yet Lenz managed to grasp onto a few words.

“A skirt? How wonderful! I am in need of some articles of clothing. Do you mind pointing me in the direction of which you purchased this?”

The woman didn’t take a second to wait for a reply. She took small steps closer, using her words as a distraction. She glanced down the way and saw Gad in the distance. He was still talking to the couple about things she couldn’t decipher.

“Oh?” she asked politely, before feigning tripping on an imaginary rock. She fell forward, ramming her body against the man’s.

“I apologise!” she cried. The man grabbed her from under her arms and helped her to a standing position. He eyed her warily, but she had something he did not. She had used her falling as another distraction, using her left hand to grab the skirt out from under his arm.

She hid the silken fabric behind her back quickly as the man retained his bearings. He was searching for something, and Lenz used his lack of attention on her to her advantage. She took several large steps backwards, trying to attain some sense of distance between him and herself.

Finally, he looked up at her and frowned, growling in protest as Lenz held up what he was missing.

“Looking for this?” she asked rhetorically. She sounded like a snotty vagik, and she couldn’t help but smile at this realisation.

She cocked her head to the side before turning on her heel and sprinting in the opposite direction, calling out to Gad without looking back, “Gad, run!”

ooc :

by **Gad** on April 13th, 2014, 4:43 am

Gad eyed Lenz go about her pratfalls and pilfering. Then she flaunted the retrieved skirt in front of the man. Stupid. Then she called out his name. Worse. His eyes narrowed as he heard his name. He put himself in a mind to handle the situation, everything he could take in, he did. The creases in the big man's neck as it started to twist around to face Gad, for he'd turned around as soon as Lenz screamed. The woman, her eyes going wide as she no doubt recognized the red-head for earlier. Gad didn't miss a beat. When the brute finally turned around, Gad was looking over his own shoulder, as if this "Gad" character was someone down the street. Smooth as he could, he twisted back around to face the duo, then looked past the man, with wide eyes, as if to suggest something strange behind him. Gad pointed. The man's eyes shifted for a second, and Gad was already off and away. He'd twisted on his heels and was sprinting the other direction down the street. The man and woman were after him. When he volunteered to be a distraction, he envisioned something that involved less cardio.

He was pumping down the road, and started to break a sweat, the man and the woman were at his heels. He wondered why they were so interested in catching him, but only for a second. It occurred to Gad that people didn't particularly like being made to look like fools, or like it much in general. Gad sidestepped into a winding corridor, the siblings followed. He'd figured he'd bought her enough time, so Gad decided it was time to call off the hunt. "You do know I'm not the one with your pretty clothes right? The skirt you went through all that trouble to steal? Don't got it!" He called over his shoulder. The woman's eyes went big and she slid to a stop, turned heel and went back the way she came, but the brother seemed to have taken it all a bit more personally than Gad had anticipated. He was still barreling after Gad when the young wizard came to a dead end. Well, this was probably going to end with him getting his face knocked off. Lucky day.

Gad eyed the ground as he heard footsteps drumming down behind him. Something there for him to get the best of this guy with. Scanning, scanning. Nope. Nothing. At least, not before Gad was knocked forward by a blow to the back of the head. As he fell to the ground he blinked and could feel his vision blur. He wasn't interested in ever taking another blow to the head. Gad let himself relax a little as he tumbled to the dirt ground. A big foot was already aimed for his gut. Gad took it, and grabbed the man's leg as soon as the blow connected. The man raised his other leg to stomp on Gad's head, and in doing so presented an open target. Gad put his own legs up and pivoted on his back, and sent his foot firmly to the man's family jewels. "I always end up in situations just like this." the wizard mumbled. The man doubled over, clutching his balls.

Gad didn't relent. The next kick was as hard as the first, and the third target the man's nose, as it was now lower to the ground considering he was bend over. Now Gad took the opportunity to do a sort of tackling drag that brought the brute to the ground, and now Gad was above him. The wizard pummeled the man a few good times in the nose, eyes, and checks but not without catching some dizzying blows himself. He felt a cut open up on his own check just as he was drawing blood from the man's nose. The wizard felt the man's grip collapse around his throat. Instead of struggling to peel those sausage fingers away from his trachea Gad reached his long arms our and scooped up dirt in both hands. He ground the grainy soil in the man's eyes, nose and mouth, and then reached for more to do it again. After a second mouthful of dirt, the man's grip loosened, and Gad sent a knee to the cretin's groin, before he pulled the hands free and scrambled to his feet. The wizard didn't waste much time breaking into full sprint, and heading back the direction he'd seen Lenz.

Character sheet · by **Lenz** on April 13th, 2014, 6:49 am

ooc :

She had turned on her heel, and was now sprinting at full speed to an unknown destination. Her mind was in overdrive, reveling at the thought of some morbid or gruesome end if she’d be caught. She shook her head as she pumped her arms, her hands strained into fists, the knuckles blossoming with white shades.

She bit her tongue and rounded a tight corner. Her side scraped against the side of the building, a nail or something having been sticking out hazardously. A pain crept up her chest and into her underarm, causing her to bite down harder on her tongue.

She refrained from crying out in pain. She was not dubious to the fact that she was probably bleeding, but thoughts such as those weren’t of main importance at a time such as now. Her life was in jeopardy and if she didn’t escape from the wrath of her persecutor, she would have a life left to save.

She continued to run, dodging various objects that were strewn about in the middle of her path. She hopped over rubbish and side stepped obstacles as she continued to sprint. She didn’t even know she was out of breath before she toppled over head first.

It wasn’t that she had tripped over something necessarily, but that she had grown weak down below. She heaved increasingly until she managed to restore some amounts of air. She glanced to the side, envisioning some sort of mirage of hope to portray before her eyes, but what she found was Gad several yards over, fighting another man.

She couldn’t move, for her legs wouldn’t operate correctly. They were tingling ferociously, protesting against any more use upon their part. She obligingly waited before feeling returned, before she could breathe at a regular pace, but she didn’t have much time. She decided to waste the previous moments of recovery on watching Gad fight.

She gasped as a fist hammered into his face. She cringed when he lost his breath due to a blow to the stomach. She feigned a mask of horror that could have been real, had she not known he would win. It was obvious, the way he held higher ground. He was prevailing in this battle with his intellect as well as his movements and it was plainly seen even from the distance she was positioned at.

She cried out to him, but her voice was muffled by her incessant panting. She turned to face forward, only to have her vision bombarded with the large and muscular figure of the man who had been chasing her. Only he wasn’t alone this time. The woman was standing beside him with a scowl that flawed her dirty face.

Her eyes were murky as they glared down at her newly found prey. “You steal from my boy here?” she inquired, spitting the words out with intense amounts of distaste.

Lenz was feeling rather feisty right about now, so she wasted no time in retaliating with foul language. She was fed up with this woman. All she wanted was to have the skirt back!

“You’re the one who stole from me first, vagik!”

The woman narrowed her eyes and turned to face the man beside her. Lenz took this to her advantage, as she peered over her right shoulder to try to find Gad again. However, he wasn’t there. It was as if he had vanished out of thin air. The man he had defeated was lying helplessly on the ground, as prostrate as they came, but he was gone.

This was when she began to panic. She was utterly alone, without a helpful soul to aid her in this predicament she had put herself in. She would just have to try to wean herself out by whatever techniques necessary.

She first scrounged around for anything that could help her in an attack or defense, whatever came to her thought process first. She saw nothing, dejection slowly settling in, but she was not easily deterred, nor had she ever been. She continued to search as the woman plotted a counter.

“You have messed with the wrong people, my dear,” she seethed, her eyes darkening slightly.

Lenz looked up, watched the man take a step forward and braced herself. She grabbed a handful of sand and threw it in front of her. It was a gentle fog, marring the clarity of his vision for only the briefest of moments.

She was no expert when it came to martial arts of unarmed combat of any sort, but she knew enough to help prevent against danger when she saw it.

She first struggled to find a standing position, which in turn wasted all of her free time. Once she had this higher ground, she used the rest of the time to her advantage by stepping to the side to avoid the assault that was pummeling her way at relatively decent speeds.

He fell forward, losing his balance which Lenz used to her advantage. She took the foot he had hovering above the ground and slid her shoe under it, tripping him in the process. He fell face first into the dirt, a gasp of air exiting his mouth in response.

However, he was quick and agile, more so than she had initially assumed him to be. He was up and on his feet in less than a second, his fists held in the air in an antagonizing gesture.

She blinked before he made a move, swinging at her with his left hand. She ducked, dodging the attack. She knew more defensive techniques than offensive techniques, but in no way was this less helpful than if she were to know only offensive techniques.

She figured he was thrown off balance by his wild attack, so Lenz proceeded to try something out. She leant forward and threw a punch to his abdomen. He merely chuckled in response. She glared in retaliation.

It was aggravating to be mocked or laughed at. She despised feeling puny in the eyes of someone larger than herself. In no way did he hold more power than she and she was about to prove her worth to a scoundrel such as himself.

Character sheet · by **Lenz** on April 13th, 2014, 6:50 am

She took a step forward, dodging to the left as he swung at her again. His fist clipped her shoulder, but didn’t send her flying to the ground. She maintained her composure, her eyebrows furrowed in concentration.

She was determined to show this man that not all women were weak whether it meant her last breath or not. She was a tenacious individual with virtue and high standards. Her morals were exceeding and she liked to keep it that way.

He brought his hands up to the sky and then slammed them down real hard, giving Lenz only moments to dive to the side before almost having her brain squashed. She hit the ground hard, but sprung back up. Her slender body was giving her much needed aid in this fight and she appreciated her lifestyle.

Bring it you monster, she thought with a sneer, watching the man’s every move. Her eyes nearly glazed over before he sent another attack in her direction.

It was a kick this time, and it managed to hit Lenz right in the shin. She yelped, screaming bloody murder as the pain blossomed in her shin and burned down her ankle into her foot. It spread up her leg into her thigh and seared her flesh with its torment.

She held back tears and propped herself up again, watching her surroundings to make sure that no more assaults were beaming at her with hundreds of miles.

She prepared herself, trying to take her mind of the pain that throbbed in her lower leg. She focused all of her attention on the man and his weak spots. She checked his lower region and made a break for it. She charged, predicting a wild shot from her attacker. It was expected and it happened indeed. She blocked it without using physical touch. She simply dropped to the floor and slid on the dirty ground before popping up on her knees and sending a tremendous punch to his genitals.

He cried out this time and dropped to the ground, holding what he claimed dear to him. She took this moment of vengeance without pause, as she brought her knee up and creamed it into the man’s face. He wasn’t out for the count, but he would be for quite some time.

Or so she hoped.

Lenz smiled inwardly, but bit her lip as she turned around to look at the woman. She received a face full of fist as a reward for her attempt. She doubled backwards, slamming her back into a building behind her. She couldn’t see for a few moments, her vision blurred by salty tears. Once she was able to see, she witnessed the woman coming at her with an oncoming fist.

Things were happening so fast. She wished for a break, and didn’t she deserve one? Her leg was aching terribly and her mind was reeling at incredible speeds, yet she wasn’t allowed a time out.

It was frustrating and she couldn’t help but pout as the scene she was thrust into continued to unfold.

She wished she could have been reclining in a chair, watching the entire thing as if it was a play provided for her entertainment in a threatre somewhere nice and pleasant. Instead, however, she was the star of the show.

Her intelligence, her wit and her skill set were the focus and how she applied said things was up to her and her alone. She was the only one in control of her movements. She held the cards and thus far there were no wild ones. They were all redundant and expected, all except for that hit to the face she was awarded, but even that could have been predicted had she been paying much attention.

Lenz ducked, the woman’s fist connecting with the building. She cried out in pain, clutching her fist in the process. Lenz used her loss of concentration willingly as she kicked the woman’s knee in with the ball of her foot.

The woman fell forward, gasping at the pain that was shooting up her thigh right then and there. Lenz sighed, calling for air to reach her lungs as she made another offensive attempt at succeeding this war. She was in the zone, her sins clear from dwelling further.

She couldn’t think logically right now. No memories invaded her sanity. Nothing was there to block her reasonability and validity. She was her own person, thrown into a situation that called for dire circumstances. She was willing to pan out the punishments.

And so she did.

“Don’t mess with me,” she hissed before using the ridge of her hand to crash into the side of the woman’s neck. She felt her pulse for a split second as the woman toppled to the side, grabbing at her neck with both hands.

Lenz recoiled backwards, gaining some ground before she checked up on the man. He was on his feet again, already up and giving her some chills. She felt them crawling up and down her spine as she took a large gulp of stagnant and stale air.

“Please help me Gad,” she whispered to herself as she prepared for another round.

How would this play out exactly?

ooc :

by **Gad** on May 7th, 2014, 1:47 am

Labored breathing through a bruised trachea kept rhythm as made his way back around the corner. Things were looking just about as you'd expect. He was wasting a perfectly good Spring day, risking life and limb for some pretty face he'd never seen before, in the off chance that maybe things might go his way. Well, he could always just turn that corner over there, veer off and head straight to the Pig's Foot. Kick back with an ale, or, whatever. Whatever, indeed. Whatever was better than getting your face liquified over a skirt. Thing was, Gad had already gotten involved. It was becoming sort of personal now and, all things considered, he'd really like to get that skirt back, at least for the principle of the whole thing. Even as he rushed back to the scene, though, wheels were turning in his head. How can I turn this around. That silk fabric skirt, seemed awfully expensive. There's got to be a lot of coppers and silvers passing hands at Lenz's stall. She certainly didn't look like she was worse for the ware. A little thin and pale, but- compared to half the city she's packing on the pounds. Hmph. Yeah, that's it. There's gotta be something to this little tailoring business she's got going on. Something sinister was bubbling in Gad's brain, but he'd first have to deal with what brought his mind to a boil if he was ever going to get his way. So, it was that he came across Lenz, somewhat admirably fending off the woman.

The first thing Gad noticed was the floored man, struggling to his feet and groaning about his balls. The wizard couldn't help crack a grin. Obviously he and Lenz shared something when it came to tactics, but hey, why mess with a winning formula right? A kick in the pants usually did the job. So did a kick in the head. When Gad spotted the man pulling himself up, he made sure to pick up the speed and accelerated with all his might. He was to the man in a moment, and let his leg, with all the force of his sprinting behind it, swing like a pendulum into the side of the man's head. There was a clicking pop, and the man let out a whine and reached for his neck. As the attacker collapsed from the all-fours position he was in back to the ground, Gad also tumbled to the ground, as he'd basically just tripped himself over the man's head. In the wizard's shin there was something like a pins-and-needles sensation or what you might feel when you hit your ''funny-bone''. Gad wasn't exactly laughing, though. Through a grimaced face and gritted teeth he was able to stagger back up and get his legs under him, despite the right one a little throbbing and numb from where he'd kicked the guy. It'd definitely leave a bruise. He spotted the man, still struggling to get up. Gad went over and put his left foot on the man's shoulder, then applied a little force. The man rolled over onto his back, like a helpless turtle, and Gad stomped the guy's exposed and soft belly. One, two, three times. Normally someone might try and grab his leg, drag him to the ground, but Lenz had already softened the guy up. Sufficiently assured the man would spend the next few minutes alternating between clutching his belly his neck and his groin in pain, Gad turned his attention to Lenz's fight with the woman. He was about to intervene when he spotted something, white, on the ground.

He reached down and retrieved the skirt. It must've fallen to the ground in Lenz's fight with the woman and man, he'd reasoned. He'd never felt silk before. He clutched the cool cloth as it overflowed in hands and spilled between his fingers. It wasn't just soft, it was smooth, smoother than he'd imagined. He thought it might be slimy, from the glossy look it had, but it wasn't. He'd held valuable things in his hands, plenty of times, but rarely, something that so spoke to opulent vanity as this silken skirt. In his fascination, he didn't notice the woman spot him, or that, after getting a mean right hook on Lenz's jaw, she'd spun around and reached for the skirt in his hands. The woman yanked, and Gad, naturally, yanked back. At first he upset the girl's balance a bit but the woman got a little leverage and immediately pulled back. A minor tear in the fabric grew until the garment was in two pieces; one in Gad's hand and one in hers. The woman's eyes went wide and wild, and after the shock registered on her face, she let out an enraged, throaty scream. Gad spared only a moment's glance at the torn piece of silk in his hand, as he did, he reached into his pocket to snatch his shaving razor. He was glad he felt the need for a trim this morning. In an instant, he was yanking the woman by the hair, and had the razor blade to her neck. He twisted her around, so now her body was between his and her brothers her were slowly recovering and stumbling their ways to their feet. He pulled his mouth close to her ear, and in a low voice, warned her not to move.

“Shh, shh,” he started “I don't want to kill you, I don't. But I will. I will, and I won't lose any sleep over it either, so please, for your own sake, stay petching still woman.” The look of utter disgusted rage on her face sunk behind the mask of self concern. He didn't want to kill her, and she didn't want to die, so for the time being, the girl did as he said. “Now, tell your brothers to back off.” The woman shifted focus from Gad out of the corner of her eyes, to her brothers who were now standing before them. Lenz was behind Gad, so he couldn't see her, but from where she was standing she'd be able to see him and the two brothers in case either tried something. The wizard let out a low sigh, and tapped the blade's edge to the thief-girl's throat, as she had yet to do as he'd instructed.

“H-hey you two, calm down. Don't make any sudden movements, alright?” The two men shared a tense look before placing their hands up with the palms facing forward, and taking several paces back.

“Alright, good.” Gad continued in her ear. “Now, I'm going to do the talking, alright? Now remember,” he drummed his index finger across the ridge of the back of the razor, “don't get jumpy.” He cleared his throat, and began directing his voice to the two men “Alright, alright. So, looks like we've all had our fun, huh? You got your thrills in? Cause me? I'm having a blast.” Yes, this was how Gad preferred things. Maybe it was the wizard in him that liked exerting power over others, maybe it's just how he was, but he always preferred to be the one with all the cards, no matter what the game was. “Okay, now, okay. Let's see. Looks like your girl here as gone and ruined my pretty little dress.”

“-Skirt” one of the brothers corrected. Gad clenched his teeth.

“Whatever. You know the policy at my shop? You break it, you bought it. So, she's going here the money she owes her, we clear? Your going to give her double, in fact, for whatever business she might've lost, wasting her time tracking you down for not paying in the first place.”

“What!? That's ridic-!” It was the girl this time, but Gad shut her up by pressing a little closer with the razor blade, and dragging it just the tinniest bit, until a small drop of blood welled up and tumbled down her neck.

“Be careful with that word. You know what that word means? Ridiculous? 'Worthy of ridicule.' You making fun of me? Cause, I don't think your in the position.” The brothers were looking tense and pissed, and in the silence after his rhetorical question, the woman made an audible gulp. “Didn't think so. So, then your going to pay her the full cost of the skirt again, just for the fact that you put your hands on her, and I don't like that.”

“But, I don't even have that much coin on me!”

“Oh, I'm sure if you put your heads together you can all work something out. Go ahead, pull your coin purse out, toss it to your boys over there.” The woman did as instructed. “Good. Good, now, you, count it, put the difference in and chuck it back to Miss Lenz over my shoulder here.” With much reluctance, the men did as instructed, and it required both of them to put money in to reach the three-times amount Gad was charging them for Lenz's inconvenience. Once they'd counted in the Mizas, they tightened the little coin bag back up, and tossed it to Lenz. “Perfect. Now isn't this so much simpler? You really gotta run around, robbing my stall, threatening my friend here?” Gad spit to the side in disgust. “Hik. I don't know what this town is coming to. But I want you remember something. You see her? She's under my protection, you understand that? So's her boss, and their business, you get me? So, if you petch around with her, you petching with me, and I don't liked to be petched, not without being wined and dined first. I'm classy like that. Now, you apologize to her.” The men's faces materialized a sneer, but Gad pulled their sister tight and brandished the razor, reminding them of the stakes. “Go ahead, say 'I'm so sorry we stole from you and laid hands on you Miss Lenz, it won't ever happen again. If we see you in the street we'll cross to the other side, and we'll only patronize your business as honest customers.' Go ahead, say it!” After another audible gulp and a moment's more of hesitation the boys semi-mumbled out their apology in not-quite-harmony, and left out a few words. Gad shrugged. “Good enough. Now, remember, Lenz is under the protection of me-” the incredulous question from one of brothers of 'who are you?' overlapped with Gad's self introduction “- Gad <<The>> Benachag, <<bastard of>> Hazikayah, <<from the streets of>> Sunberth.” He said with flair, in his father's Shiber tongue. It had the desired effect of sounding grand and alien enough to seem important as brothers shared another one of their looks, this one seem to say 'Whoa, do you know who that is?'

A smirk tinged the corners of his mouth. Now, how to extricate himself and Lenz from this nasty business? That was the question. His eyes shifted from the men, to the squirming captive he had hostage. Best to leave anymore theatrics for a time when he had a more controlled situation. He wasn't exactly thinking about how to get out of this when he'd went for the girl, but he was prepared to improvise. He had an idea; The Scarlet Sanctum. There, in one of the dark, smokey back rooms he could ditch the girl, pay one of the prostitutes to gag her and tie her up. It'd cost a pretty copper Miza but it'd but more room between him and these goons. The last thing he wanted was to spew some grandiose shyke like that, only to get double teamed in a alley a few bells later, and tossed in the river. So, with that consideration in mind, he decided it was best to make quick moves now. “Alright. Now that you've paid your dues, I guess your free to go- do whatever it is you do when you aren't stealing ladies formal wear. I'm going to hold on to sweet cakes here, as collateral. I don't want you getting up to any more of your tomfoolery, or following me, so if I catch wind of either-” Gad's voice got low and more gravelly than usually, he tilted his head down, and looked through wide open eyes at the men. “- I'll slit her fucking throat and let her bleed out in an alley somewhere.” He cleared his throat and continued more soberly. “Now, if you do as I say, that'll be it, no harm will come to her. Got it? No need to look for her, she'll find her way back to you in a few bells.” One of the brothers made a sudden forward lurching motion. Gad yanked the girl back and drew more blood with the blade. “Back! Damnit! Didn't you listen to me? What the petch is wrong with you- you want her to die? I said BACKOFF!” The hostage nodded and the man did so .“No more funny business. Don't follow us, and don't get into anything that might make me do something I'd not like. Because you'll like it even less.” Threats, threats for everyone! Gad sighed and backed away with his captive. He ushered Lenz along. “Come on, let's go somewhere a little less crowded.” He tensely watched the men for the several chimes it took to back away out of their sight line. As soon as he turned a corner and they were out of ear shot, he spoke to Lenz.

“Alright, they can't hear us now. Keep an eye out for those two, will you? I don't think they'll follow us, and the trip is a short one, but I don't want to risk this. We're going to zigzag our way there, but we're headed to a place called 'The Scarlet Sanctum'. Do you know it?” His voice was a considerable note more friendly, now that he was talking to Lenz. No doubt, though, she'd seen he's mean side. He wondered for a moment what she thought. But, only for a moment. The thought crossed his mind, that after how he'd put his ass in the fire for her, he shouldn't have to worry whether or not she had a good opinion of him. In his book, she owed him.

Character sheet · by **Lenz** on May 8th, 2014, 6:44 pm

Everything was erratic and hasty, the events unfolding before her eyes in sporadic attempts of suspense and thrill. She watched the scenario take place as if it was a play, they as the actors and she as an audience member. Although, she wasn’t finding this play very amusing.

She saw Gad fly through the air, his front foot extended as it connected with the man’s face. Both of them fell to the ground, although Gad fell with more grace as he maintained better posture, still standing whilst his opponent crashed into the earth like a mound of dirt.

The woman was still writhing with her neck most likely throbbing, but Lenz paid no attention to her, for her interest was located fully on her new acquaintance, a gambling, bemusing fool who knew how to help someone in need.

She observed the two fighting for a few more chimes before the woman made an attempt to recollect her composure. She lashed out at the redhead again whilst the two men were continuing in their struggle.

She was caught off guard as the thieving woman sent an uppercut her way. Her fist knocked into Len’z chin, causing her to fly up and backwards, crashing into the wall behind her. With her head buzzing with ferocious pain and her tongue as numb as ever, she recooperated rather quickly, retaliating to the offensive threat with an attack of her own.

She wasn’t a brawler, but more an intentional fighter. She knew where to hit in times of direness and therefore, contemplated what she were to do before doing it. Her tactics were weak, but mildly impressive when there was nothing else to compare them to.

In the few seconds she could spare, she sought out alternative routes and ways to make the woman’s body ache with more pain than she could have ever experienced. Lenz vowed to attain a positive outlook by searching for her ears. Once she had located the body part on the woman’s figure, she cupped her hands and threw them to either side of her head.

Instantly, a pained scream elicited from the woman’s lips. She grasped for her ears as her hearing faltered for a good few moments. She whimpered and whined before relocating what she was sent to do. Lenz, too, lost focus as watched as the silken skirt had made it from her hand to the ground beneath her.

She failed to snatch it from the dusty earth before the thief did. Without her personal belongings in the right hands, she snarled, glaring into the woman’s eyes as she prepared another attack. Thankfully, she didn’t need to, or at least not necessarily during that exact moment in time.

Gad came to her defense, sparing only a second before latching his cold hands onto a side of the silken skirt. They tussled, and pulled and irrationally tugged at the material until it was no longer a whole piece of treasure. The ripping sound was atrocious as Lenz gasped. It wasn’t the end of the world, but to her, after struggling to attain the skirt the entire time, it meant much to see the thing torn into two.

Suddenly the demeanour of the entire scenario shifted on its axis. Gad took the woman and held her close to him, something glinting and metallic pressed tenaciously against her slender and tanned neck. Lenz held her tongue, rubbing her temples to help dull the throbbing as she allowed her eyes to waver between both the man and the woman.

Her eyes were wild and full of fear. Lenz couldn’t help but keep her eyes locked onto hers. She waited, hearing some susurrations shared between the man who held his captive and the captive herself. The time went by in slow, unending ticks. Nothing ceased as the situation carried on with suspenseful intentions.

Don’t hurt her, the redheaded woman whispered to herself inwardly. She doesn’t deserve to die because she stole some fabric. We have it back!

Of course her words were not interpreted into actual speech, neither did the plead connect into his brain wave and translate into his mind. He wasn’t a mind reader, unless that was another thing Lenz didn’t know about him. He was a stranger after all!

Abruptly, the other brother accompanied the first one, standing only a mere few yards from Gad and his prisoner. Lenz held her breath and attempted to take a few steps forward before hesitating. What was she doing? She didn’t know what all these men were capable, much less Gad. She could get herself killed and where would that leave her? Fighting over a simple piece of fabric wasn’t worth handing one’s life over to the goddess of Death, whoever she was. No, Lenz was smarter than that. She knew how valuable life was and hers, in her opinion, was worth living and was needed on the planet.

Letters turned to words which turned to sentences as they began flying in either direction. Gad was pressuring the woman into talking her men down, whoever they were. Lenz stayed behind Gad and watched, observing and examining what was going on with an open mind.

She began to plan things in her mind. One part of the skirt was still held in Gad’s hand whilst the other was still imprisoned in the woman’s. The two men were situated a ways apart and from what she could see, they were farther from Gad than she had anticipated. She could easily sneak in and grab the other portion of the skirt from the woman’s hand, but where would that leave her? Her hasty movements could stir either party and send a frenzy either her way or destined for each other’s way. She was again left to no alternatives.

Her mind was spinning, her head tilting in contrast to her current disposition. What did she feel? Concern? Threatened? Frightened or sorrowful? She felt like everything was out of her control and that she needed to make things right.

Another plan had conjured in her brain. She could calm each of the parties down with her words of which she hoped sounded soothing and soft. She contemplated easing her way closer to the woman and to Gad and retrieving what was initially hers.

Oh, why did things have to be some complicated?

She was about to plant one foot in front of the other again in terms of dashing into the scene with her heroic nature plastered dimly onto her face when her eyes locked onto a small crimson drop of blood flowing gently down the woman’s neck. Lenz almost let a tear roll down her cheek at the sight. Things were getting too difficult and intense for her.

However, her ears perked up and the tears did not fall. Her eyebrows knitted together as her attention was fully destined to be focused on Gad and the words that dripped from his tongue.

“…she's going here the money she owes her, we clear? You’re going to give her double, in fact, for whatever business she might've lost, wasting her time tracking you down for not paying in the first place.”

Her stomach doubled over, her heart skipped a beat and her throat constricted so that she was prohibited to swallow even a minute amount of frigid air. Why was he doing this? One half of her admired his heroism, but the other suggested it not necessarily. The former eventually leveled her problematic assumptions. She desired for him to continue standing up for her. She felt proud to have found someone so kind in such a wasteful and cruel city. She looked at him without contempt, but with a power so straightforward, she found herself slowly drawing nearer to him.

Lenz missed the next few moments as a small bag was swiftly tossed over in her direction. She plucked out thirty golden mizas and scoffed at the amount. Where could they have come up with such an amount of currency? Of course, being thieves there was no doubt in her mind that they had scrounged the coins from countless other stalls and small business or folks from around the town. She grimaced and then let her eyebrows fall downwards, her lips curling upwards as she attained a sneer.

“You see her? She's under my protection, you understand that?”

Lenz perked up again. She was slowly being drawn to this man. He was so kind and protective and whether it was because the two of them had been thrust in the heat of the moment or not, her gullible side was becoming to like this man. He was so genuine and his words were so flattering and truthful. Did he really seek some sort of justice as his words were hinting at? Was his latent insinuation real or a façade he cowarded behind?

Her mind was reeling with a multiude of thoughts. She didn’t know what was reality and imaginary any longer. What did know, however, was that her saviour was still speaking, threatening towards their assailants.

“…her boss, and their business, you get me? So, if you petch around with her, you petching with me, and I don't liked to be petched, not without being wined and dined first. I'm classy like that. Now, you apologize to her.”

Lenz allowed a smile to escape onto her lips. She was definitely going to thank him after all of this terrible turmoil had suffocated and died out. She hoped she would never have to see these criminals again, for if she did, she would allow her fear to subside for the moments it would take to teach them yet another harsh lesson.

Her wishes weren’t quite answered yet, however. Gad’s voice rose higher and louder as he barely screamed out the following words, “- I'll slit her fucking throat and let her bleed out in an alley somewhere.”

“Gad,” she interrupted, now standing a few feet from his side. She turned and directed her stare in his direction. She wasn’t sure if he had heard her, but he carried on either way, ignoring her if that was a clearly stated fact.

Soon she had turned on her heel and was briskly following Gad, who now claimed full responsibility of being the leader of the small pack that had formed. She eyed her back warily every few seconds, tentatively watching to make sure they weren’t being tailed.

Her heart was beating out of her chest, her head was still pulsing and her stomach was churning into knots she wasn’t sure she would be able to untie or unravel.

“You didn’t mean it, did you?” she piped up suddenly, reaching for the portion of the silken skirt that had still been latched by the woman’s cold hands. She tugged the other portion from out of Gad’s hand as well and proceeded to carry on with their reasonably quick gait. “A-about killing her like you said?”

Her voice was small and squeaky, causing her to want to shrivel up and wither away. What was she- five years old? She was a grown woman; someone capable of taking care of herself, and in such a treacherous city, her intellect and physical construct was very well needed. She didn’t need someone taking care of her throughout the entirety of the day.

She retracted her comment with a subtle shake of her head and a ‘never mind’ as she intensively listened to Gad’s response to what had just occurred. She was sure to have some form of nightmare later tonight.

“Alright, they can't hear us now,” he reassured, calming Lenz’s highly acceptable paranoid feelings.

“Keep an eye out for those two, will you?” he continued, earning a hearty nod of the head from the redheaded woman. “I don't think they'll follow us, and the trip is a short one, but I don't want to risk this. We're going to zigzag our way there, but we're headed to a place called 'The Scarlet Sanctum'. Do you know it?”

The Scarlet Sanctum. The name vibrated around in her head for the time it took her to understand what he meant. She repeated the syllables quietly in her mind. It was a whore house, was it not? She was sure she had heard of it, although she didn’t necessarily know where it was located.

“I’ve heard of it,” she said, putting her thoughts into actual, audible words. “Although, I don’t know where it is. What are we going to do with her? Why are we taking her there?”

Silence slowly filled the surrounding air before them. Quiescent was easily bestowed upon the both of them before Lenz interrupted her inquiry with a thank you. She meant it was as much sincerity as she could muster up and she hoped it showed on her face as she said it again.

“Thank you very much by the way.”

ooc :

by **Gad** on May 21st, 2014, 12:59 am

Gad looked to Lenz as she asked her question. He considered her, coolly, for just a moment, before letting friendly grin contort the corners of his mouth upward. "What? Me? No, of course not. I was just saying whatever I could to get you- er, us- out of there in one piece! Y'know?" He offered his best reassuring smile and a friendly nod. In a moment when she took her eyes off of him Gad indulged in a subtle eye-roll. "Her? Well, we're going to drop her off there, for safe keeping. They keep a lot of uh-... ropes and chains around that place, gags too. Heh. Heheheh. Yeah, ahem, so, we'll find someone there more than willing to put Lady Skirt-thief in their care, at least for a little while." Gad nodded to Lenz again. She thanked him. On the premature side my dear Lenz. Just a bit too soon to be thanking me sweet girl. He smiled and nodded "You know it was actually kinda fun, all this. Getting in over my head is more than worth it- for a woman as beautiful as you are Lenz. Besides, like I said, it was kinda fun. I like the thrill." Gad shrugged.

The trek to the Scarlet Sanctum was brisk and fraught with over-the shoulder neck-breaks and shifty eyed glances down darkened alleyways. They were there soon enough though. Guess Tweedledee and Tweedledumbass took my advice and made themselves scarce. Good for them. Gad looked up and down the place, took in a waft of air through flared nostrils and exhaled a self-satisfied sigh. "Well, lovely Lenz, here it is. Now, I don't mean to condescend or tell you what to do but it might be best if you just follow my lead, okay dear? I've had some- uh- experience with houses of ill repute, and they can get pretty feisty.You'll need to watch out for groping. And like I said, don't talk if you can help- nobody in there wants a silver miza like you classing the place up, making them look bad." He gestured for her to go in with one hand, the other, still tight on the shoulder of their captive. As soon as Lenz stepped forward Gad leaned in close to the skirt-thief's ear. "You especially need to keep your mouth shut. I know what I told her, but I think you and I both know I won't hesitate to leave you face down in a puddle somewhere. I really couldn't care less. Don't test me on this." He shoved her inside, after Lenz.

Inside it was the smell of overbearing perfumes, dank musk and the aromas of bodily fluids. It was dark, and smokey, and on the loud side considering the environment. The noise was coming from a 'show' going on on the stage, which hadn't yet moved to the point of full nudity though it was fast approaching that threshold. Something like an usher approached the trio and asked what it was they wanted. "Oh, yes, me and my friends here, we're looking for a special kind of experience." The smooth-faced usher nodded in understanding. "Yes, you see our girl here," he pulled the Skirt-thief near him, "she's looking to slip into something a little less comfortable if you get my drift. Something a little more restrictive, she doesn't want to be able to move around so much."

"I understand."

"Oh, and she'll need something to uh, bite down on, we don't want the noise to bother the other patrons."

"Of course, and what about this statuesque stunner? Hm? Can I get this fire-headed beauty anything to slip into?" Gad shot a quick glance at Lenz.

"Mno."

"No?"

"Nah. She's just, uh, here to watch."

"Ooohoohoo. Sounds like a party, I'll got get some one to help you three. Here," he handed Lenz a key "take room seven on the left." The man departed with a flamboyant flourish and Gad gestured with his head to Lenz in the direction of room seven. Soon they were in side and Gad pushed their captive on the bed. He turned to Lenz.

"Yeah, I know, not exactly an establishment for a lady of your quality, but I think it'll get the job done." There was a knock at the door and in came a burly man wearing black leather, robes in one hand and a fat strip of leather in the other. "Oh, you're here." The man held up his equipment.

"So, you wanna turn around?"

"Huh? No. Haha! No, that's for her." Gad pointed to the thief. "Gag her first please." The thief shot him a sinister look of utter disgust. Gad gave a dull smirk and a shrug.

"Oh, apologies, it's usually the men who want-"

"-Oh, I bet. Yeah, nice and tight. Yep. Just like that. " The man set about his work gagging and binding the thief. Gad turned to Lenz and spoke softly as the man's back was to them. "Okay, now might be a good time to split. This things usually run on the expensive end and I'd rather her and her cronies pick up the tab than you or me, I think they've caused us enough trouble for today. Come on," Gad took her hand and laced her fingers in between his own ''ditch the key too. We'll go out the back." He pulled her along with him into the dark corridor and down it until they made it out through a back door into the alley way. Compared to in there the midday light was blinding for moment and Gad winced from the sun. "Okay, once they realize she's broke they'll probably keep her tied up until her brothers can pony up and pay the bill." He looked Lenz up and down. "You alright? How're you doing?"

ooc: maybe veered a little into godmodding there? Hope you don't mind.

Character sheet · by **Lenz** on May 21st, 2014, 5:35 am

Every single word that slid off that man’s tongue sent a hive of bees roiling inside her belly. She felt nauseous just listening to the lies that dripped from his mouth. How could she truly trust him? After all this, he seemed like a genuinely kind guy full of mellow necessities for justice. Now, she had just witnessed him pulling a woman towards a knife against her will. He had threatened to spill her bodily fluids all around him and let everyone watch him drop the lifeless corpse. She would have doubled over and heaved had he been telling the truth. He was either incredibly skilled in the arts of pulling facades over people’s faces or he was a mysterious man for the need of thrill and detestable desires.

The sound of stowing a woman away for safe keeping wasn’t appealing to the lady with flaming red hair. She took a subtle step backwards as he mentioned something about ropes and chains. She was close to speaking up, rejecting his offer to delve farther into this demonic twist of fate, but she remained still, a stoic expression plastered onto her face. She would not show fear to the man before her. Gad wouldn’t pose any threat to her unless she allowed him to. She was vulnerable, yes, but only in the ways she imagined them to be. If she didn’t let her guard down, she wouldn’t wind up like the thief that was still held captive by his inexorable grasp.

One side of Lenz admired his passion. He was going above and beyond her initial expectations. She had stolen from her, and she had stolen something of valuable importance and he had stepped to the plate and had offered his services to help her find the one held responsible. However, the other side of her, the one that was stuffed away to the side was weary. She was panicking inwardly about the stretch he had put himself through. He was getting carried away.

Another part of her screamed for justice. She wanted to see the woman thrown into the sea and washed up several bells later with her lungs full of salty liquid. And then another side of her wanted to run away screaming for help, the need for escape, survival, portraying high standards near her mind. Her heart or her conscience, they were both struggling to achieve the higher ground, but Lenz was still uncomfortable in competing, especially when she was knee deep in a situation she didn’t like.

Her cheeks soon blossomed with fully ripe cherries. They glowed with embers of embarrassment as he latently congratulated her on her beauty.

“I suppose I must agree with you,” she said, hopping in on his victory acknowledgements. “It was exhilarating- to some extent.”

He turned on his heel and proceeded to walk towards what Lenz assumed was the Scarlet Sanctum, the destination of which they were to dispose of their witness, the thief with the wandering hands and lingering bad thoughts. Lenz followed swiftly behind his footfalls, eying the imprisoned woman every step of the way.

Butterflies joined in on the party with the bees in her stomach as Gad called her dear again. In no way did she take the tone of voice as one of dominance or authority, as if he was the master in their companionship. Instead, she sought devotion, a hidden one and one of ominous reason. It was all too thrilling to her to watch him move and speak to her as if she was the only one on his mind at the moment.

And then she stopped cold. He could be using her. He could be warming up his prey, her, only to dispose of her as well once he had attained her trust. She wouldn’t let her guard down for a second, but that didn’t mean she wouldn’t relish in the soft and sweet talk this man was saying to her.

She nodded in response to his mentioning of following his lead. She didn’t know what she was doing, so it was better to follow behind someone who did. She stepped over the threshold, taking Gad’s warnings to heart.

What she witnessed was very strange ways of pleasing one another. Women were dressed in rather obscene ways and men were boasting to one another as they scampered after various ladies in leggings and tight shirts. The tops of breasts were visible with every wandering eye and the men were easily stunned by their feminine presence.

Lenz gulped. She had never been in such a place before, but she took in the scenery, observing what was around her. She was too busy looking around the place and awing at every scenario she was faced with that she completely neglected to overhear the conversation that was going on right beside her.

Gad was speaking to a man about… something, yet she knew not what, not until she tuned her ears towards the conversation and truly listened in.

“Can I get this fire-headed beauty anything to slip into?”

What was he talking about? She didn’t need to slip into anything. She was already wearing clothes and anything else evaded her realistic sense of perception. What could he possibly be insinuating during a time such as now?

She started to wring her hands before looking to the ground. She felt the man’s eyes drain the colour from Lenz’s heart and place it onto her cheeks and nose. She couldn’t help but blush. This was entirely out of her league. It was petrifyingly awkward and she felt uncomfortable standing there. But she was on a mission. Whether she liked it or not, she was tangled up in something she couldn’t wiggle out of- not just yet.

Suddenly a key was being thrust into her hand.

“I-I’m not here to watch-“ she started, but quieted as soon as she was being ushered towards a room located on the left hand side of the establishment.

What was going on? Firstly, a man walked in, expecting Gad to bear the fabric in his mouth, and then the woman was gagged quickly after. Soon, the room was spinning, forcing Lenz to sit down on the bed next to the thief whose eyes were as large as saucers.

She was soon bound as well, lying prostrate on the bed as if she was readying herself for a rape attack that would never come. Lenz had to close her eyes for a second, but she quickly opened them before Gad could see. She wanted to appear strong, and thus far she was doing an excellent job. She simply needed to keep up the act and as soon as everything was over with, she could return to her normal life of sewing, sleeping and writing.

But how would she ditch the key? Where would they go after this? So many questions were tumbling around in her head, but she refrained from speaking. She merely walked out the door in a hasty manner and through a back door until the two of them were alone in an alleyway somewhere.

“No, I am not okay,” she burst out suddenly, not being able to handle the pressure that was briskly building inside her head.

“Did you just see what happened? I was stolen from so I chased down the thief, stole my property back, got into a huge fight with the thief’s kin, witnessed the captivation and threat of the demise of the thief. I walked into a whore house, watched you tie up the lady and leave her there only to emerge from all this trouble into a dark alleyway?”

She slumped to the ground with her back pressed against the wall of who knows what. “I don’t even know how I could have gotten myself into such a crazy day.”

She couldn’t help but giggle at that comment. She as normally the protective, good hearted woman who always saw the optimistic side in life, who always steered clear of trouble and problems, who always did the right thing and tried to help others, yet here she was. She was living through everything she had previously mentioned and more. She tried to shut down her brain, to feel nothing, to make herself as numb as she anticipated, but it didn’t work.

“That was pretty crazy,” she murmured. “That was pretty insane. It was thrilling, something I’ve never done before. Ever.” Her mood changed then. It was more hysterical, but in an uplifting and tolerant way.

“You’re psychotic,” she laughed before playfully nudging her acquaintance in the arm. She smiled then. It felt somewhat good, different to be the exact opposite of who you are. “You know that?”

oocNah, you're alright. You just got the story going again. Frankly, I'm glad you took ahold of the plot. That was your moment to do as you pleased with the woman. Lenz would have just sat idly to the side and watched in astonishment, which is exactly what she did. Great turnout though, I must say, haha!

by **Gad** on May 25th, 2014, 4:10 am

Gad nodded understandingly as Lenz lost her shyke. He guessed she was more the delicate rose than he'd anticipated. Oh well. From the rosy tone he observed swelling in her soft cheeks, Gad concluded that she quite enjoyed the flattery. She seemed to want to conceal it, which was the smart thing, obviously, because even though she might not have been able to prove it Gad was definitely leading her on. But he certainly didn't want her to let go of that hook. He thought it might be time to lay it on a little smoother, if he could, so his advances might not seem so overt, or at least not quite as fake. Maybe that wouldn't be so hard. He summoned his genuine feelings for her to the surface and took inventory. Well, there wasn't much not to like about her, although she was gullible; which, considering Gad's goals, was still more of a redeeming quality than not. She was honest, if not timid, though she wasn't afraid to fight her self, so she did have a brave streak. Naive? Perhaps innocent was a softer term. She was like a sweet smelling flower; she fell apart just from the picking. Guess I've got be a bit more gentle with her. He nodded to himself. She'd do nicely if he didn't hurt her too much.

Then Lenz's hysterics showed. Somewhat bitingly, but through cathartic laughter, and in that honey voice of hers, she called him a psychotic. He at first played offended. "I've been told as much before, but let's leave that diagnosis the professionals sweet heart." He knelt down to her and stretched his hand out, palm upward. He took her hand up in his other one, and sandwiched it between them. "Come on. We still don't want to hang around here. Besides all that, won't your boss be wondering where you are? I'll walk you back to your shop. You're under my protection now, remember?" Gad rested his hand on her shoulder, and looked her in the eye. "After all that? You fending off that vagik thief and her goons? Where's that girl? Huh? Where's that tough resilient, strong woman I met this morning? Come on hot shot, don't let it get to you now." Gad chuckled, and cozy upped to her with a contented sigh as that hand on her shoulder slid across until his whole arm was draped across her shoulders. He leaned his head a little to the side, letting it rest a little just against hers. He hummed in a calm tone. "Just relax. I know this all seems a little on the dirty side, but trust me, we handled that pretty good. Things- well, just take it from me, things could've been a lot worse. You? You were golden girl. You were perfect, honest. I couldn't ask for a better partner to have my back. After that, I trust you with my life. Do you-..." He cut off the question and talked over the dead air so as not to prompt a response.

"You know. This wasn't exactly how I planned to spend my day either. I had- well, I guess I might've had things to do. But, when I saw you, and you asked me for help. Me! I don't help anyone, y'know? But, I saw you there, and you asked me for help, and I was all of a sudden the one who was helpless." He looked down and grinned. "How could I say no? Haha! I probably should've, but the very idea of you asking me, I don't know. I guess, what I'm trying to say is, nobody ever expected that much out of me before- and, well. I guess-" Gad stumbled over his words, less out of not knowing what he wanted to say and more out of wanting his portrait of bullshit to at least be framed nicely "I guess what I'm trying to say is, thank you. Thanks for expecting more from me. For helping me, by letting me help you." Gad shot up to his feet and dusted himself off, and took Lenz by the hand gently, ushering her to stand up. "Come on, let's get you back to that stall of yours. We went through too much work saving you for your boss to kill you for being late." He punctuated that with earnest laughter. When Lenz was on her feet, Gad was gently dusting her off, and carefully straightening up her attire. He stepped back and looked at her, again, straight in the eye.

"I know it's not how you spell it, but 'Lenz' is the perfect name for you. It's only through the right lens that you can see a vision of true beauty." He looked bashfully to the side and cleared his throat before turning his vision back on her. "Don't you-... don't you think it's strange? He laughed "I mean, I've only met you this morning and here I am falling all over you, heh, sorry, I'll uh, I'll give you some space. You're probably still rattled all this craziness. I-... I just wish I knew something about you, you know? I mean, I know your name, and where you work I guess but I-... I just wish I knew who you were. Where you're from, what do you like, are you single?- uh-" Gad brushed the question under a pile of more pointless and mildly romantic pablum "-do you have brothers? Sisters? Friends? What do you like to do for fun? Am I talking too much? Oh man, sometimes IjusttalksomuchandIforgetI'mevensayinganythingandit'slike'Wow,Gad,shutupnowyou'remakingitawkward'ahahaha!" He gasped for air. "Okay. Whoa. Let me uh, start at the top." He took a few deep breathes and in a new, upbeat voice said "Hi! I'm Gad, we've just had a life experience together, and it was pretty intense. It's nice to meet you. Care for a leisurely stroll back to your place of occupation?"

Closed The Mystery of the Missing Silk Skirt