Some say you're trouble, boy, just because you like to destroy

[shadedsunlight]

Characters: Ginia Solana and YOU
Open? Yes!
Where: All around Schwanheim
When: Day 17th, afternoon
What: Ginia goes on a stealing spree
Warnings: Possible violence and language?


Ginia was on a mission, if a mission could be considered the utterly selfish act of robbing Schwanheim blind. At the start, things were almost utilitarian; she only stole useful things or things that could be given away to others less fortunate. A bit of honorable Robin Hooding. Now? Deep in the clutches of the necklace, angry at her friends for trying to stop her, and needing to feed that increasingly difficult fix?

Oh, it was on.

Like many people looking to feed a fix, caution was abandoned. While she still kept to the shadows, stealthed around when she could, shadow jumped as necessary, she was striking in the day now. It was the same as always; get into a house or lift an item from a stall, get away, drop off the item somewhere safe, hit the next target. But now she needed more expensive things, more rare things, shinier things.

And woe be to anyone who dared get in her way or tried to stop her.

Comments

[consultmybooks]

And one such shiny thing is just sitting on a table in the Drunk Duck Inn, as though casually left there by a customer who'd moved away for a few seconds to order another round.

It's a pocket watch - battered and old, yes, but it still has a gleam to it, and its golden surface has been polished to a bright, sunny shine. It's still ticking merrily, and the chain is new and strong.

Perhaps it's not the most valuable thing in the room, but it is valuable, and it's out in plain sight.

[shadedsunlight]

Ginia knew the pocket watch. She knew the pocket watch as intimately as she knew the owner of it. Countless times she watched Giles take it out of his pocket and check it for the time or as a distraction, carefully clean and polish the gold surface and make sure it was still working, or something just see him stare at it as he remembered. It was more than a timekeeper; it was a memory keeper, a reminder of a different world, a different time, of different people, that just as the watch belonged in his pocket, there were people he belonged with too.

But none of that was on her mind as she stared at the pocket watch. She saw the shiny gold, the light tick as the hands move along. It wasn't the most appealing thing in its old state, in fact, sitting out in the open, it was too easy. It's a trap and she knew it.

Ginia grinned as she remained hidden in plain sight, looking for her best plan of attack and waiting to see if anyone else approached the watch.

[consultmybooks]

As long as she stays, that's good enough for the owner of the watch. As long as her attention is focused on it, that's good enough.

Giles has never used his scrying mirror to find someone quite so close before. But, keeping the gleaming silvered surface hidden close to his chest, he sees Ginia, at the table just a couple of yards away. And slowly, carefully, and above all nonchalantly, keeping his back to her as much as possible, Giles will begin to circle around towards her.

[shadedsunlight]

Ginia takes in the environment. The people, the smells, the sounds, the location of the entrances and exits, everything that makes the tavern what it is. It's like the good old days of a stakeout or tailing someone, a feeling that's almost as thrilling, and nostalgic, as the high from stealing.

when the familiar feeling of being watched hits her, Ginia looks around, trying to pinpoint what doesn't feel right. She moves away from the table, gives the watch one final glance, before she goes for it.

Using the mixed shadows of everyone around, she steps into their shadows, then jumps up into the rafters of the tavern, dropping down right above the watch. She grabs it, hand closing around the pocket watch and snapping it shut, and leaps for the next table and shadow, intending on jumping outside.

[consultmybooks]

There's no grace or elegance to what Giles does next. There's only good aim, and something like base, blind panic as she gets to the watch far quicker than he'd expected her to.

He grabs a cup from the nearest table and tosses it, full drink and all, at Ginia's head. A split second later, he vaults over the table to try and grab her before she can escape.

[adventurerextraordinaire]

At about one in the morning, a villager of around twenty years creeps out of Cade's room at the Drunk Duck. (She seems very eager to have as few people see her face as possible, so it probably isn't hard to guess what she and Cade were up to.)

In her haste, she leaves the door to Cade's room not just unlocked, but slightly open. Cade's drunken snores seep out of the ajar door, likely alerting any nearby thieves that he is not guarding any of his many shiny magical treasures.

[shadedsunlight]

With all the travelers and patrons coming in and out of the tavern, the chaos of the Drunk Duck Tavern and Inn made it the perfect place to steal from. A bit of pickpocketing here, robbing a room there, it was all easy.

Ginia was sneaking out of one room and back into the hall when the door to another room opened and a woman rushed out. Though invisible, she remained completely still until the woman was gone, then waited a few more seconds. The sound of snoring, the open door, of course Ginia had to peek in. No more than a ripple, Ginia slips through the open door and crouches down, giving the room a cursory look over.

[adventurerextraordinaire]

Cade lies face-up in his bed, wearing nothing but a bedsheet and a big gaudy amulet - a solid gold disk (about 3 inches across) embedded with a large green emerald cut in the shape of a playing-card spade. Hanging from his bedpost is a weapon belt with silvery rapier in a blue sheath.

In the corner of the room, his magic armor and hat sit on a stand. The armor is mithril chainmail and a breast-plate of unknown gold-colored metal, and the hat is a big foppish hat with a brilliantly-colored Ostriche plume.

Sitting on a little table on the other side of the room is a guitar, a small leather pouch, an iron ball, and a few gold coins.

[shadedsunlight]

She pays Cade just enough attention to make sure he's still unaware before she considers the rest of the room. Tempting as the sword and armor are, she's learned quickly some items are too difficult to conceal and carry. The amulet is too gaudy for even her tastes and the risk of waking him up isn't worth it.

The hat is a bit silly, though slightly stylish, but the guitar and the contents on the table? Perfect. She slowly sneaks her way over to them, scooping the coins into the pouch first, pausing to make sure Cade is still asleep. When she's in the clear, she takes hold of the iron ball with the intent of moving it into the bag as well.

[bondsoflove]

As far as shiny things go, this is a big one.

Sasuke kept his suit of armor in his room at the Heroes' Headquarters, mostly unused. He'll put it on when he goes into battle--if he goes into battle. But it's too heavy for daily wear.

The armory did a good job on it, though. It's pale silver, gleaming and free from imperfections. Subtly enameled flames and tendrils of smoke curled over the arm-plates and chest, over the helm. It was a work of art, really, and fitting for the Knight of Fire.

Said knight is sitting up on his bed, canopy drawn, lost in thought.

And though he might not have the strength of one anymore, he still has the senses of a ninja.

[shadedsunlight]

It's criminal in itself attacking the Heroes' Headquarter, the made home of the champions from around the worlds. However, it's a good location as any and if her first crime spree through the rooms and halls is any indication, there are plenty of things to be stolen.

Stealthed, Ginia stops outside of Sasuke's door and lightly raps on the door. First sign, always see if someone is in the room. The added bonus is getting a glimpse into the room is enough to shadow jump into it once it's unoccupied.

[bondsoflove]

He remembers her chakra--maybe not. Energy? Whatever it is they call it here. It's not the same as chakra, not really, but it's close enough that that's what he calls it for lack of anything else.

Ordinarily, he'd give off a flare of his own to signal that the door was open, but she wouldn't be able to sense it. So after a moment's pause to decide whether he wants company, he turns his head towards the door.

"It's unlocked."

[shadedsunlight]

Drat. Someone is in there. However, Ginia realizes she can play it to her advantage by using the opportunity to look inside the room and learn the layout. Making sure no one else is around, she drops out of her stealthed state and opens the door, giving a small wave and putting on a sheepish expression. The armor definitely catches her attention. She knows realistically she can't take all of it, but maybe grabbing the gauntlets or even the helmet? Doable.

Her journal and writing tools come out of a pouch and she writes out a message, the dark letters visible from across the room.

Sorry, I was looking for an empty room. I hope I didn't disturb you?

[tatra]

Like most people who went out shopping, Tatra carried a bag with her through the town. She didn't really need anything, but she had very little else better to do and it made her happy to give something back to these people who worked so hard day in and day out. She bought expensive trinkets and snacks, just about anything that caught her eye.

The bag held a fairly large sum of money and her purchases for the day: two carefully wrapped pastries, several bits of jewelry that didn't match what she was wearing, a mirror set in silver and inlaid with beautiful patterns. It also held a pair of scissors that she had never found a use for, that she didn't yet know could cut through anything at all.

While Tatra sat in front of a small bakery enjoying a fruit tart, her bag lay on the ground just under her chair.

[shadedsunlight]

Pickpocketing was one of the first skills Ginia learned as a hunter. It was a useful skill, not just for stealing IDs, but sometimes disarming or stealing a weapon without the person knowing. It gave a much needed advantage and in a profession where one second was the difference been walking out the door and living another day or being carted off to the morgue, every bit counted.

A bag under a chair? One of the easiest things to steal from, as easy as a bag or purse hanging off the back of a chair. Ginia, invisible and crouched against the wall of the bakery, studies the bag, then looks up at Tatra. Once she's certain Tatra isn't paying attention to the bag, Ginia slow sneaks in to take a look at the contents. She moves slowly, keeping her breathing light and quiet as possible as she peeks into the bag.

The money would be the easiest to grab and easiest to lose. The jewelry had promise too. The pastries could be delicious, but the mirror and scissors? They're beautiful and useful.

Making sure Tatra isn't paying attention, she begins to tilt the bag to make it seem like it fell over naturally.

[tatra]

The owner of the little shop chose that precise moment to come outside and ask Tatra if she needed anything. She said that she didn't, thank you, but she did want to take the opportunity to let him know that the food was marvelous and she would have to come back again sometime soon. He graciously thanked her for the compliment and informed her that she really ought to be careful, hadn't she heard? No, she told him, she hadn't heard.

There had been a slew of robberies recently, he told her, and why just today another princess had been robbed and the whole town was really very upset. She wondered who would do such a thing, and he said not to quote him but there were some suspicious characters among her 'hero' lot. Not, of course, that he thought she would do anything like that, or really that he was trying to paint them all with the same brush, begging your pardon princess. She laughed and told him that it was quite alright, you really never could tell who you could trust these days, and she didn't blame him in the least for being suspicious.

The conversation continued in much this manner, the two of them discussing the gossip of the day and how best to handle a petty theft while sparing not a single glance towards the bag laying now on its side under the chair.

[shadedsunlight]

Ginia draws back when the owner comes out, keeping absolutely still as the two begin to talk. She listens to them, feeling a slight chill and a burst of pride as they talk about the recent strong of robberies. It's all become a bit of a blur to her, the different thefts and she can't remember which princess she robbed. Oh, wait, no, there had been a pretty tiara she'd passed on to a girl in the poorer part of town.

She comes into conflict as she looks at the bag and absolutely perfect opportunity to clear out the contents and make her getaway. But the more she listens to the conversation, the more she remembers her own conversation with Giles and her own set of rules. "You're better than that. What this place says we are d-doesn't mean anything, n-not to that degree. Not like this."

She was better, wasn't she? Hadn't she been better? Even if she had stolen items in the past, it was the kind of act that usually took down criminals. Robbing civilians, her fellow heroes, that wasn't her doing.

Her hand comes up to her chest, the stone charm from the peddler hidden under her tunic just under the palm of her hand. Her hand closes around it. She wants to steal. She needs to steal. She's a rogue, she's only living up to her role, maybe giving everyone a lesson in watching out for their belongings.

The mirror, the scissors, they're useful things. Ginia eyes the bag a little longer before reaching for one of the wrapped pastries instead. If she has to steal something, might as well be something delicious. However, grabbing an item doesn't not make it invisible. She creeps in a little longer, carefully shifting the pastry out of the bag and to the ground. An innocent act, it simply fell out of the bag that's all.

[shadow_sage]

Though the one was never really alone in a town the size of Schwanheim, for someone raised on Thessia, the side streets were practically deserted. She walked through them, eye on the sky. She had an appointment, later, but there was still time. She wandered, mostly, lost in thought. Her face was drawn, lips thinned, and seemed to take pains to avoid anyone else that she saw coming.

She stopped at a corner, for a moment, and pulled her omni-tool up, keying a few commands in, frowning again, and shutting it down again.

She was alone. Distracted. The perfect target...

[shadedsunlight]

Hello, Liara. Ginia silently stalks her, curious where she's going. They have a heist coming up soon, one Ginia is just itching to complete. Though after such a high point, what next? She knows short of robbing the castle blind - another good idea - there's not too much higher she can go.

But when that time comes, she'll face it. For now, that shiny orange tool looks interesting. Very, very interesting. It looked like some kind of bracelet. All she had to do was sneak close enough and wait for the right moment to pull it off.

So in Ginia moves.

[shadow_sage]

Liara has no destination. She's simply...walking. Trying to focus on memorizing the layout of the city, where turns hide you from sight, where there is access to the roofs, the kind of thing she'd normally pull up on a computer in five minutes.

She was walking with pretense to avoid thinking about the war, mostly. That was probably why she was on edge; it was certainly why she was avoiding people. They all expected her to fight their war for them while they stayed here, safe and sound in their home, while someone else faced the danger.

A pause, at a corner. She couldn't shake the sense that she wasn't really alone. She didn't look, though, merely turned for a narrower street. Closer, easier to block. Liara didn't rely on being able to swing a sword freely. Besides, in the narrow streets, there were fewer places for her pursuer to hide. If there was someone. If she wasn't simply paranoid.

[shadedsunlight]

Bracelets are tricky things. Close to hands, most people have them on tight enough that the slightest movement is noticed, varying clasps, all a bunch of little things that can make a simple lift go wrong. Ginia knew her strengths and weaknesses; sure, she was a decent enough thief, but not a true thief. She could only imagine Julie laughing at her now.

But Ginia continues to move in and once she's close enough, once Liara isn't paying attention, Ginia tries to remove the omnitool.

...Given that it's something she's never seen before and isn't quite sure how it works, it goes without saying it's a botched job.

[folklorist]

And on this night Helios will be rushing about to try and get that binding spell up as quickly as possible. He hadn't contacted Giles since the other man left that night and he wasn't sure where Ginia was, either. But it was probably out and about...trying to steal anything she could get her hands on. He'll accidentally drop one silver ring on the ground as he walks down the street, acting as if he hadn't even noticed. The bait was sent, now all they had to do was wait.

The mirage ring is lying in a otherwise innocuous place in the middle of the road. It's dark but the faint burning candles hung about the doorways and such make the blue sapphire and silver ring glow. Helios will be nearby as well, he himself is tucked away in a small patch of shadow behind one of the nearby buildings. Hopefully this will work and hopefully they won't come to blows from it either.

[shadedsunlight]

Ginia is a loot happy fiend in black, though right now she's doing less stealing and more trying to find a good place to stash her goods. The house was no good now, and if the town guard decided to do anything, she didn't want Giles or Helios to get in trouble. Most of her current hiding places were already fairly full. Perhaps there was another empty crate or barrel around somewhere, or a secret little pocket under the bridge. There's only one thing she's kept on her person and that is Giles' pocket watch. The precious pocket watch was too valuable to hide anywhere, and she didn't trust dropping it out at the house in case they had a trap set for her. So she keeps it tucked away in a lined pocket, safe from harm.

As she slips in and out of shadows or keeps to the alleys, doing all she can to keep a low profile, she sees something shimmering on the ground. Stealthing, she sneaks a bit closer until she can pick up the ring. Pretty thing.

[folklorist]

That is exactly what Helios had hoped she would do. The air around the sigil marking the ground is a bit...strange feeling, to anyone who has magical sensing abilities. It feels heavy, strained almost, as if the air can't quite escape it. When Ginia moves in closer the mirage ring will sit nice and prettily for her, gleaming and glowing almost, in the light of the moon. It's quite tempting to take, he hopes, and he also hopes his spell holds.

[shadedsunlight]

Unable to sense magic, Ginia steps unknowingly into the sigil as she picks up the ring. She turns it around in her fingers, admiring the sapphire and silver. It's a lovely combination, quite elegant, and she doesn't think anything about it.

It's only when she tries to move on do things get a little complicated.