Completed It's not like they need it...

[Demitri Maebourne]

19th of Spring, 515 AV It was a real gem of a place; very rarely did one see a home that was so clearly wealthy and so clearly unprotected. Sure, these people weren’t the richest- the husband’s lust and the wife’s spending kept them well out of the upper echelons of Zeltivan society. Still, they clearly had more than they needed. Was there truly any harm that Demitri could bring by taking some fish, maybe even a few nilos? She thought not. Aided by darkness and her past experiences in sneakery, the native of Sunberth made her way to the back of the two-story home, taking care not to make noise as she clumsily climbed over the gate- not many could have afforded one back home, she reminded herself, and it wasn’t so unusual that she would fumble a bit. This fact seemed to matter less, however, as she belly-flopped into the dirt on the other side of the fence. Wasn’t she off to a good start? As she stood and brushed herself off, she began to wonder how she could have ended up here. Hadn’t she come to Zeltiva to start a new life? To avoid the pattern of drinking, fighting, and stealing? Why in Mizahar had she not found a real job by now? Sure, they were boring; Demitri thought it plain silly to stay in one place long enough to hold down a stable job. But she was still here, wasn’t she? What was it about the monotony of everyday life that repelled her so? Perhaps it was growing up in Sunberth, she thought; if you’re spending every day fending off the older boys, sneaking around, trading in secrets, you’re bound to miss the action once you’ve moved on. Maybe she should go down to the Kelp Bar and see if they needed someone to clean, or serve that awful fishy muck they called beer. She could do that, couldn’t she? It wouldn’t be particularly hard, and she was charming enough! Then again, she was so much better at the thieving… Perhaps it wasn’t the time to think about such things. Refocusing, the girl tip-toed to the rear of the house; she had seen the door that morning, and it seemed that the wife always forgot to lock it. Wasn’t that convenient? Demitri almost wanted to leave a thank-you note. Cautiously she reached for the door handle. Gripped it. Turned it ever-so-slowly… and smiled as a satisfying *click* sounded in the otherwise silent night. Just as slowly she pushed it open- thank whatever god was watching for the wealthy and their aversion to creaking hinges! The lower floor was comprised of three rooms, all hidden in a pitch darkness that only happened when the moon was lost under an infinity of cloud. Demitri wasn’t surprised- when one has just launched their criminal career in a new city, one must be sure that nothing can go awry. The couple who owned the place always went upstairs just as it got dark, and all the lights of the house would drain into a single room. That room had gone black not ten chimes ago, but the girl could not waste any time during her first Zeltivan burglary. Closing the door with that same creeping cautiousness, she straightened up and readied herself to search the house.

[Demitri Maebourne]

The lower floor had a kitchen, a bathroom, and a sitting room. Suffice it to say, it was quite unlike Demitri's usual places of work. The vast majority of her experience lied in cutting the coin purses off of stumbling drunks; still, the girl had assured herself that it couldn't be all too hard. An unlocked door, an unbroken routine, and the two sleeping upstairs couldn't be especially brave. All she needed to do was avoid breaking things and it would all be- Something small and wooden rolled from the table onto the hard floor and Demitri froze in place, hair standing up, every muscle tense as those of a cat hearing a loud noise. It was dark in there, much darker than the dimly lit alleys and taverns she was accustomed to. She grimaced at her foolishness, squinting her eyes and breathing an aggravated sigh through her teeth. They couldn't have heard that... right? It was at least two chimes before she felt comfortable moving again. Steadily, fearfully, she picked up the small object that had caused her so much dismay. It was a figurine, elegantly carved and cool to the touch. The front felt similar to a face; she imagined it might be a depiction of Laviku, or maybe just a representation of a family member. She supposed it didn't matter. Either way, it might have been important to the couple, and it would be just plain rude to take it with her. With the greatest level of caution she placed it back on the nearby table, just barely able to see it now as her eyes adjusted to the interior darkness. She might need to move a bit slower from now on. Continuing on her path, she half-felt, half-sensed her way through the sitting room. A week of hiding outside, glancing in windows had shown her that the man of the house left coin purses on the counter like ash in a hearth. If she could just find the right table... Success! Lord Moneybags did not disappoint. Quickly she felt for the opening and dipped her fingers in, making sure that there was something to take before tying it on her waist by its thin leather strings. She nodded to herself. That was one less thing to worry about. Next she made her way to the kitchen. She had never done this before, but she assumed that it would be the room with the most storage and therefore the room with the most to take. Brushing her hand along the wall to keep from running into anything else, she wrapped around the door frame and squinted into the darkness. What was the point of a kitchen, anyways? You could put a hearth any old place. It was just a great big space to hold all of the food you're not eating. She sighed and moved forward. She stuffed into her backpack two loaves of bread, a few handfuls of dried fruit, and an uncounted pile of shiny cutlery. Demitri guessed it might be silver, not that she'd leave it if it wasn't; if she couldn't sell it, she'd probably use it herself. She still only had the single eating knife she'd brought from Sunberth, and the couple upstairs had more utensils than they could possibly use in a week. Wasn't it silly that they spent their money on something so unnecessary? She never had the excess mizas to afford "nice" things like this. She'd just washed things when she was done with them. It was such a point of trauma for her... The dinnerware made a light clinking sound as she dropped it delicately into her bag, but it wasn't nearly as loud as her first trespass. Even so, she couldn't help but flinch at every small sound of metal touching metal. Perhaps this "breaking and entering" business would take some getting used to. She took her backpack to the door and laid it down, taking care to make as little noise as possible. The next step of her plan was more dangerous, and she would need to move freely and silently as she searched for the heart of the couple's wealth. Nervously she looked to the darkened staircase.

[Demitri Maebourne]

The task of climbing the staircase proved a small relief. It seemed their aversion to creaking stairs equaled their aversion to creaking hinges. Now all she needed to do was navigate the second floor without ending up in the couple's bedroom. Hopefully the majority of their wealth wouldn't be hidden there. Now, as she had seen before, the last light of the house was always... to the left? No, to the right. It might have been the one she'd just passed, though. Changing her mind at least five times before deciding to continue, she proceeded down a darkened hallway. If she needed to, she'd open every door as if it was theirs. If they saw her, she'd be ready to beat a hasty retreat. It may cost her, but for now she'd have to try. Nervously she opened the first door. There were so many. This couldn't be the one, right? No. It was never the first door. Exhaling silently, she turned the handle and tapped it open. Her eyes had adjusted enough to tell her that it held a bed and two tables, the bed well-made and the tables clean of all but one small lantern on each. The bed was definitely empty; maybe it was for guests. Oh, well. Next room. She went through this door the same as she had the last one. It seemed to be some sort of office, with a paper-smothered desk and yet another small lantern. She started forward. Bumped into a cabinet lurking nearby. Jumped back in surprise, then sighed and gently closed the door. Perhaps it would do her some good to bring a light next time- provided, of course, that she didn't get herself arrested tonight. Swift and silent, she moved to the desk in back of the small room and sat down, opening and closing drawers with as minimal a noise as she possibly could. She pocketed a few nondescript items, but didn't find anything of real value. Just as she was beginning to lose hope, she came to a locked drawer, and her curiosity shot through the roof. Now, what could be so important that he'd lock it up, when he and his wife seemed so secure in the rest of their wealth? She took a thick sewing needle from her pocket and slipped it into the keyhole. It seemed an average lock, but Demitri wasn't quite used to that quality in Sunberth. She frowned down at it, slowly but furiously rotating the small sliver of metal, listening intently for that tell-tale click. As she did so she chastised herself for not digging up some legitimate lock-picking tools. Sewing needles? Really? Sure, she had picked out long and sturdy ones- and she wanted to make sure she could afford to eat this season before she ran around buying whatever she liked. Even so, it did not seem worth the extra mizas at this moment. It was a solid five chimes of grumbles, sighs, and metal-against-metal before she finally heard the sound of success, at which point she gasped excitedly and pulled the drawer open. In it she found a bag with quite the pile of nilos, which she secured alongside the purse she had grabbed from the sitting room. There was also a small knife in a plain leather sheath, that she tied in the same manner on the other side of her hip. The last item was... a drawing of what she assumed was the pair's wedding day. She peered through the darkness at it, looking over their young, bright smiles, then sighed with a hint of irritation. Stupid guilt. Reluctantly she took the large bag off of her waist and put it back in the drawer. Let him keep this small cache. She would take the knife, knowing he'd never use it and telling at first glance that it was no precious heirloom- but she wouldn't be able to stop thinking about it if she took everything off them she could carry. She may have been a thief, but she still had some level of shame. She stood, looking around once more to see if there was anything else worth taking before readying herself to move on to the next room. Suddenly she froze. Could those have been footsteps? They couldn't have heard her, right? She had been so quiet! This was just a rare trip to the bathroom. She'd just have to be completely silent until they got back to bed... The handle of the hall door turned on the other side of the room. Demitri inhaled quickly, stomach tightening in fear.

[Demitri Maebourne]

Well, here she was. Her very first Zeltivan burglary, and she had managed to knock everything over, wake up the owners, and not even take half the profits! What's worse, she was now crammed into the leg-space of the burnished oak desk, knees tight at her chest, unable to breath. Maybe he heard her bump into the cabinet earlier, and was checking to see if he was imagining things. Maybe he'd just back out of the room, lantern and all, and Demitri could make a clean exit. Heck, maybe he'd just fall back asleep immediately and she could finish digging up valuables! She'd been hoping to run into a bathroom up here; the wife always had the nicest jewelry... The thief's hopes were dashed as she heard the husband clomp towards her. He had probably come to get something. Worst case scenario, he had somehow figured her out. In that case, she'd have to escape, and it'd have to be that very moment. She glanced around frantically, the fear and panic she felt only evident through her darting eyes and flushed cheeks. She needed a way out, needed to escape, needed to do it now... A window! She hadn't seen it originally, but now that she was close and taking the time to look it seemed rather obvious. It was halfway open, just room enough for a small child to crawl through; if she could get there, she might make it out of this without a warrant for her arrest. Then again, she might break her neck on the landing. Maybe she needed to go back the way she came, just run and not look back. Whatever she did, she didn't have the time to ponder over it. He was already to her right, nearing the far side of the desk. Only a few feet away was her potential doom, and he was getting closer. Now he was on the side with her opening, reaching toward the formerly locked drawer. She had to do something. She had to move, she had to run, she had to leave this place if she was going to survive. She had to... With a sudden rush of adrenaline, she hopped out of her hiding place and shoved at the man with all the force she possessed. He toppled backwards, surprised beyond all reason; she didn't pause to see what would happen next. The light just outside the door told Demitri that the wife was very much awake, and she couldn't risk escaping two people at once. It was only half a second before she made a running leap and dove through the window, deciding at the very last moment to catch herself on the ledge so that she'd hang on the side of the house instead of flying out at breakneck speeds. As soon as she felt the coldness of the exterior wall she dropped, unable in her "fight or flight" moment to contemplate the ground below her or even a better method of climbing down. This is probably why she landed on her back with an unpleasant thud, groaning and tilting her head back into the cool wet grass. She exhaled. Scrambled to her feet. Remembered at the very last moment what she had forgotten. Then, as unhesitating as ever, she charged for the back door of the home, threw it open, and lunged to grab her backpack full of ill-gotten cutlery. Just out of the corner of her eye, she noticed the woman of the house standing on the stairs, staring at her with a look of pure shock. Demitri paused, then greeted her with a not-so-thief-like nod before disappearing once again through the rear of the house. Having finally done all that she needed to do in this place, she ran toward the darkened street, letting her backpack fly behind her like a kite just starting to get off the ground. She kept running for Laviku knew how long, not allowing herself to stop until every bit of her fear-induced energy dissipated. At that point she fell to her knees, head down, panting heavily. After a chime she gathered her breath, then laughed with an abruptness that would have made any passers-by think her crazy. She didn't particularly care; despite how badly the night had gone, she had gotten out, hadn't she? And with a few new shiny things, as well! Her laughing continued, tapering into a small chuckle until she felt able to stand, at which point she looked around cheerily. My, she was lost. Somewhere in the Old Quarter, she supposed. Hopefully she hadn't run in the opposite direction from her home on East Street. Not that it made much difference to her now. Pulling her backpack further up on her shoulder and nodding silently to herself, she started toward the sea breeze. If she could get to the docks, she'd know when she was nearing her flat. As she walked she smiled to herself. She could get used to fun like this. -End!-

[Perplexity]

You have played well, but the game is at an end.

You have been bested. Beaten. Checkmate!

However, here is a consolation prize: a wealth of Experience and Lores! If you have any questions or concerns regarding this grade, please do not hesitate to send me a PM. I'll be more than happy to assist you!

 

Demitri

XP

• Stealth | +3 EXP
  Climbing | +1 EXP
  Acrobatics | +2 EXP
  Larceny | +1 EXP
  Running | +1 EXP

LORES

• Climbing: The Challenges of Scaling A Gate
  Stealth: The Importance of Being Aware

MISCELLANEOUS

• I'm not awarding any loot mostly because anything that Demitri would have gained would have to be sold to a fence. Which translates as your seasonal wages. If you are interested in performing a high flying heist some time though, come talk to me. We can work something out.

Until Our Next Match,
-Perplexity, DS of Zeltiva
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