Closed It Benefits Both

[Caddy Twist]

-7th day of Winter, 512 AV- The Docks. Always teaming with people from all sides of society. Caddy inconspicuously strolled among the crowds, her multi-colored eyes on the wealthy men and woman. They tended to stay in little pods glared at the rest of the world, as if the common street folk would infect them. Maneuvering her way closer, Caddy could get a better look at them. There. An older man, in about his sixties or so, supported a lynx fur coat and plenty of chains that wouldn't be noticed right away if they were to, by chance, go missing. He was also one of the few who held his wallet in an outside pocket of his coat, noticeable by the obvious slag in one pockets than in the other, and the drawstring's hanging out of the coat. It was a welcoming sign shouting snatch me! to any thief with an eye to see it. But none of these things was what Caddy was after, the wallet wasn't the main priority, though it would be nice to have. Within a couple minutes, Caddy was right up beside the wealthy man. He was turned to his peers, resting his weight on a hefty jeweled cane. The difference between her usual thefts and this one, was that Caddy wanted to be noticed now. People started to look her way, as she hovered near the man. Caddy wasn't an actor by much, but she knew how to steal and she knew what she was doing and when she was doing it wrong. Dumbly prodding her fingers in his pocket, as if she was a child, new to the art of pick-pocketing, she glanced around satisfied with the attention she had already gain. Caddy was ready to take his purse at any moment but she had to wait until this idiot noticed. He very obviously came form a safer city such as Syliras where the Knights kept the pick-pockets in line. Not here in Ravok, and he had no idea. "Harold!" A woman talking to him shrieked. Caddy was tempted to look up at the woman but knew her eyes would be to noticeable. Her heart picked up speed as the man took the weight off of his cane as he turned around to see what was going on. Caddy yanked her hand out of the pocket, wrapping her fingers around the cane as she turned around. A smile had already formed on her face as she held the cane and the wallet close to her torso and took off. The man shouted for someone to follow her, but Caddy was already ahead of him. It was easy to blend into the massive crowd, Caddy simply slowled to a leisure walk after a couple paces, her heart beating in her chest as someone raced by presumably looking fort her. Caddy searched for a place to dispose of the cane. She would have liked it, but it was large and someone would definitely be suspicious if she tried to pawn it. Caddy tucked the jeweled cane into a wagon that was loading goods onto a trade Ferry. She turned off back towards the city, caring less about giving up the priceless cane. Slowing down Caddy stopped at a nearby bridge. Catching her breathe and letting her pounding heart calm down, Caddy surveyed her mayhem. A smug grin settling on her face as the adrenaline rushed through her making her almost Giddy, she tried not to show it, not that anyone was watching. The crowd continued as if nothing had happened, but the amount of people and hid her escape easily. The man called Harold was a sight. Red faced and angry, he tried to hide his confusion as he yelled at a child, presumably a slave or servant of his. Apparently two slaves had been sent off to find her. She watched them return to their master clearly scared of what would happen. A small sensation of pity welled up in her, but Caddy pushed it down, why should she care what happened? Turning away, That was fun, she thought as she set off back into the throng of the busy Docks the excitement and adrenaline beginning to wear off.

[Kelmar Hedos]

7th of Winter, 512 AV Docks Kelmar was out hunting for information again. The problem with being a secretive snoop was that he needed to actively go out and hunt for information, walking among the streets and bridges and canals of Ravok to hear what he could and discern useful information from trivial facts. It wasn’t the kind of profession where you could just set up an office and have vengeful merchants come in one after another to list their tasks and then arrange a price. Everything had to be done quiet, either behind closed doors or in the corners of the city where no one was likely to see. And in order to find which doors to look behind or which corners to search, Kelmar had to have a general idea of the current political climate between the various merchant families in the various industries. That required general knowledge, which came from hearsay, which came from a high concentration of voices all too willing to be used. Which was why there was the docks. Many a useful tidbit had come from a sailor or worker just a little too tired and a little too loose of tongue. These people may not be particularly close to the merchant families in question whom Kelmar had to eventually contact, but they were much closer to what was actually happening in the various industries – especially in terms of import here by the docks. The big picture was probably out of sight for most of them, after all it was not their job to know, but useful things came from small statistics before. So Kelmar was combing the docks, searching for information about recent shipments and supplies but keeping an ear open for any random conversations that might accidentally hold enough to garner some interest. He passed by two sailors on work break, slowly and ponderously, lingering to hear what was being said. “Rhsyol,” he heard one exclaim, “there’s a lot of these bloody crates. Petching heavy too. What’s the boss got in them, lead?” “Nah, but something close,” said his friend. “Recent glut is because competition is so ratcheted up after that Rising Dawn attack last season.” This conversation was interesting, and so far was proving to be a treasure trove. So much from only a couple lines, Kelmar had struck lucky here. Slowing to a stop, he leaned against some of the crates in question so that they were between him and the sailors, blocking him from their view. To anyone else he would simply appear to be resting, but if the sailors caught him listening in they might stop merely for sake of privacy, which Kelmar could not afford, hence the visual barrier. He leaned his head back onto the crates, listening to what was being said behind him. “Yeah, I know,” the first sailor responded, drawing out a sigh. “Some nasty business that was, an attack right in the middle of the city. Damned terrorists don’t know when they’re beat.” “At least it’s good business for the boss,” said the other. “An attack during a public event happens, and suddenly everyone wants their own protection. The Ebonstryfe can do a good job of keeping the city safe, but who’s going to keep the individual safe when the crucial time comes for them?” Chuckling, the first sailor said, “right? Who’s gonna keep me safe when I’m surrounded by Dawnies? Well, what’s good business for the boss is good business for us; we get a higher payroll when the mizas start flowing in. Seriously though, what’s in these crates?” “Not sure to be honest, though at an educated guess I’d say long dirks. Cheaper than swords and easier to use, as well as easier to conceal as well. Since most customers will be untrained civilians, they’ll want things with a less steep learning curve. It shouldn’t take them too long to learn how to at least decently handle one as well as hide it.” “That’s the problem,” replied the other sailor. “The fact that they’re so easy to hide means absolutely anyone could have one, and not just the citizens. Makes you wonder if all the boss’ customers are legals.” That was all Kelmar needed to hear. Leaning forward up off the crates, the snoop began to walk away. He’d already got a lot of information, and even some seeming trivia that might actually come in handy later. For right now though, he had a narrow field to search in: arms dealing, citizen arms specifically. Competition was high because of the relatively recent attack, and if everyone was seeking to monopolize it was inevitable that a few families would brush shoulders. Perfect landscape for some of Kelmar’s dark errands. “Harold!” Kelmar turned to face the shriek, his head whipping fast to catch what was happening. He wasn’t yet capable of analyzing everything at a glimpse, but he could see what was happening, or at least guess a significant part of it. By the time the snoop had turned the actual theft was over, but the thief was still midway through making her escape. The group of rich-looking folk whom she was running from all looked about with alarm, before finally noticing the small lithe girl running away from them, carrying a cane and a decently sized purse by the looks of it. Not the most subtle retreat, but there was probably more to it. No one was suicidal enough to go after someone like that without knowing they could get away with it. She already botched the actual retrieval though, so maybe she was just having an off day. However, Kelmar was pleasantly surprised to see that, instead of running alongside the crowd like instinct demanded so that she may put on as much speed as possible, she slowed down and wove into the crowd, losing whoever was pursuing her in the sea of heads and faces. Kelmar moved a bit closer to keep a better eye on her, though he did occasionally lose sight of the red hair that bobbed away from the scene of the crime. After a while, she slowed down even more, apparently confident she had lost her pursuers and was free to do what she willed with the spoils. She was right of course, but Kelmar was too paranoid to ever let his guard down like that before making sure. The snoop was impressed though, everything she’d done so far was exactly how he’d do it – if he were ever want to steal from a man that is. Choosing to blend with the crowd rather than sprint for open ground was a conscious decision that had to be made with at least a little experience, hinting that this was not her first theft. Good. When she got rid of the staff, Kelmar was mildly surprised, or at least wasn’t expecting the action. He wasn’t a thief himself so his knowledge was limited at best and very inaccurate at worst, but he was confident that there was a way to sell stolen goods. Heldora seemed to have no difficulty finding people to buy her pocketed goods, fences is what he recalled she naming them. Of course, she never said where they were or how many or how to find them, so the snoop supposed, though he would have to suggest it if he approached this one. Another thief was always good to have on hand, and the things they could do with direction would be useful to the snoop. The woman who caused such a ruckus over by the rich fellow had stopped at a bridge and turned around to survey the scene she had just fled. Sensing an opportunity, Kelmar kept in line with the crowd, remaining as inconspicuous as possible amongst the throng of people while in her field of vision. That mixed with the focus of her attention being elsewhere meant that he was unlikely to be noticed or singled out. To anyone just randomly watching, he was simply another passerby. Just as he passed the thief however, he stretched out the muscles in his feet and walked quietly over to the side of the bridge where she was watching her target yell at a couple of subordinates, his footfalls lost in the noise of the crowd. He leaned casually over the railing of the bridge, not right beside her but very close, so that when she turned around it would appear that he had materialized out of thin air unless she had somehow noticed him amidst the crowd of people walking across the bridge. "That was some fine stealth work," he said suddenly, his marginally deep voice mixed with his lack of any apparent emotion making what he assumed many would call a mysterious tone. "Of course, you shouldn't have needed to run, you should be more careful when pickpocketing again. Some have sharper eyes than others." She would either remain silent or ask a barrage of questions, after which Kelmar would remain quiet himself for a few ticks before answering."Is this what you do on a regular excursion? Or was today something special?" he would ask, a question that would hopefully yield more information about this woman he was interrogating. OOCFeel free to add a "closed" tag.

[Caddy Twist]

Caddy was looking over the Docks when someone interrupted her thoughts. A deep voice with spoke low near her ear. A shiver ran down her spine and Caddy jumped slightly to the side, cursing fowl words under her breathe. "That was some fine stealth work," Caddy turned to cast her famous glare in him. An after thought made her hope her eyes unsettle him, but it was unlikely. This mysterious man seemed to assert an aura of power around him. "Of course, you shouldn't have needed to run, you should be more careful when pickpocketing again. Some have sharper eyes than others." Clearly he was as confident in what he did as a rock was solid. It wasn't unlike Caddy herself, but one could say he drove his power in another direction. Choosing not to over think him, Caddy glared at him for a good minute before she was sure she wasn't going to pee her pants, before replying. "If you have good enough eyes to see me work, then you would be wondering where that large jeweled cane is?" Caddy let her pride show, she wasn't ashamed to be confident, even if it might be too much. Not taking her eyes off him, Caddy moved closer as if he was an old friend. Any bystander would see a man and a girl merely chatting. "But. I'll have you know I purposefully caught his attention. Any fool who lifts from that high of a ranking on their first try, belongs in the stockholds." Caddy casually leaned one hand on the bridge as she spoke and the other to her side, her whole body turned towards him. He took a few seconds to reply. Once he started speaking, Caddy realized he was showing his power over the conversation. " Is this what you do on a regular excursion? Or was today something special?" As soon as the man blinked, Caddy glanced to the pocket in his robe, as she had expected it was a simple deep pocket with no claspigs, visible ones at least. Caddy pulled her eyes back up to his before he noticed here wandering. "On a regular run," Caddy wrinkled her nose at his educated words, not exactly sure what they meant, but replied. "I simply empty pockets." Caddy shifted her weight, running her right hand through her hair. it has taken her years of to figure out that this distracted the eye enough that he would notice her left hand slip on his pocket and out. Finn had always said Caddy had slippery fingers, so it was relatively eat to keep her fingers from touching him. "Like this." Caddy held up a slip of paper and two gold Miza's. Not the entire contents of his pockets, but enough to prove her point. Caddy realized that she was answering his questions easily. It was unusual about her, but as always, she was curious. "Why do you ask? What makes you so interested in a girl workin a trick to amuse herself?" Caddy asked, perking one eyebrow high up.

[Kelmar Hedos]

The woman’s reaction hadn’t escaped Kelmar’s notice, and it was good to see that he had planned it out right. He wasn’t usually one for dramatic scenes like that, but it helped immediately establish a power dynamic between the two, which would in turn affect how much leverage he had over her and make it easier for him to interest her in some of the work he got himself into. It was a card to be played, and if he played his others right then this encounter would go rather smoothly. “You mean the jeweled cane you dumped in that cart?” Kelmar interjected quickly. It was quite obvious that she was confident in her abilities, verging on being full of herself, but she was good enough for it to be a result of competency rather than delusion. Still, in a conversation like this where he started on higher ground he could not afford to change his position. If he continued giving off the impression that he knew slightly more than she did, then he would remain in a position of power that earned interest and respect from others partaking, which he could use for certain. When she answered that she emptied pockets on a regular run as she called it, he knew at once he had himself a potentially useful contact and acquaintance. Any regular thief was no stranger to deals with shady people, thought they tended to stick to themselves a lot more than spies and snoops, and if there was something in it for them then they’d do whatever reasonable request was posed. Kelmar could very much do with extending his miniature network a bit, and having another thief that wasn’t otherwise occupied with an honest profession – like Heldora – would be beneficial to have around. The movement of running her hand through her hair was enough to distract some of Kelmar’s attention, but he still had the presence of mind to know who he was dealing with. That and he was paranoid. So while his eyes were drawn slightly higher than they should have been, he noticed the flicker of movement that was the thief reaching forward and pilfering his pocket. It was too late to stop the act, and Kelmar mentally kicked himself for letting his guard down, but he was able to salvage his position of power by snatching her hand as it left, watching as she turned it over to reveal part of the contents of the pockets on his shirt. She was good to reach into his cloak like that, and indeed the act of drawing his attention away was a good demonstration that she knew what she was doing. The snoop had come across a real opportunity here. Of course, he still didn’t like that he had been stolen from, if only partially and to prove a point. “I don’t appreciate being robbed,” he threatened, his voice quiet and even. Kelmar didn’t have much of a temper; in fact he had little emotion at all, so his calm speech might have been bewildering to some. To others however, he would come off as all the more imposing for not becoming angry, more afraid of what he could do with a clear mind than with rage clouding his thoughts. Deliberately, he took the former contents of his pocket and placed them back where they belonged, releasing her hand only after they were returned to where the once sat. Instead of answering the questions at the moment, he instead asked some of his own. “Why do you not fear that I know that you are a thief? Why have you resisted the urge to walk away?” He let the words hang there, giving the woman some time to think about the answers, answers he already knew. Before she could properly reply, he continued. “The reason is that you already suspect that I am also not the most open or loud about my activities. I do not rob pockets however, nor do I rob life. My work is simply that of information, keeping up on the knowledge that runs through this city and finding out more for a price. Usually for various merchants and artisans who want their rivals kept in check, or want to know what their opponent is planning.” Kelmar paused, letting her think about it before moving on. “You and I may not do the same things, but we work along the same vein of profession, those that need remain quiet and inconspicuous. There are several ways we could mutually benefit from each other and reap rewards that we would not have within reach alone. For example, I know some people who would very much like, say, a manifest from a ship or the ledger from a rival merchant family. You don’t, but you could steal those things without too much trouble, whereas I could not. I have connections, and you have the fingers that open doors and pockets. There is a lot we could do for each other.” This time, he gave her a bit longer to consider what he said before actually asking his next question. “Does this arrangement sound tempting to you?” He was confident that she was on board based on her previous curiosity and her sticking around despite being jumped by a shady man she had never met before. If not, he could push a little harder, but if she was too difficult and too much of an isolationist then he would simply walk away from this one. It was a good opportunity, but Heldora was also a decent larcenist and would more agreeably help him out when she found the time. Whether Kelmar stuck around for much longer or not depended on the response he received.