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Post by Deleted on Apr 25, 2014 0:03:14 GMT -6
Ugh. That smell.
The scents of smoke and fire seemed to surround Renatus, an iconic smell that burned his nostrils and made his stomach churn. His heart rate began to quicken to an uncomfortable speed and his breaths became short and hurried as his anxiety levels began to spike. At the very distance of his hearing, Ren could have sworn he heard screaming. Begging. Pleading. Standing in the void, it was all he could do to maintain something even resembling composure.
And then he woke up.
As his eyes opened, the smells of the waking world seemed almost as unpleasant as his dreams. Manure, straw, a slight hint of decay...it wasn't more than a half of a second before he forced himself to sit up. It seemed as though some time during the night he had found his way into a stable before falling asleep - and that he had managed to bury his face in a pile of hay that scattered the floor. Grabbing the back of his aching head, he let out a sleepy moan. Exactly what sort of trouble had he gotten himself into last night?
Slowly but surely Renatus managed to pull himself up onto his feet, and after a few uneven wobbles he straightened himself out. Feeling confident in taking the first step of the day, he took a few steps before deciding to reward his success with a large stretch. There was a fuzzy border to his vision and in the back of his mind the stable was spinning around him, but it seemed that he was functional for the moment. After a yawn and a few hard blinks trying to normalize his vision, he found himself making eye contact with a mare within her pen. He wiggled for a moment, uncomfortable under the gaze of the oblivious animal.
"Do you mind? It's rude to stare." As he spoke Renatus took the opportunity to scratch his chin. The mare cocked its head to the side and let off a powerful exhale of air, which Ren seemed to take as a personal offense. "Look here, fleabag, I don't need to be judged by the likes of you. Seriously, my skull feels like it just met the wrong end of cannon-fire, so keep those looks to yourself. At least I don't manage to be ridden by half the men in town like some sort of-"
It's quite possible that Ren could have stood there in that stable, continuing a hungover conversation with a baffled horse for half of the day. Fortunately this day plan was interrupted by the entry of a stable boy throwing the doors open to continue his daily routine. This immediately silenced Ren's tirade, lest someone decide (or perhaps simply realize) that he was a raving lunatic. The boy did not speak, instead looking him up and down, and he in return gave the most charming smile he could muster.
"It's a beautiful morning, isn't it?"
The sunlight of the outdoors was absolutely dreadful. As soon as the stable boy had finished pushing him through the door he threw his hand over his eyes and gave an over-dramatic cry. When his eyes adjusted somewhat, he crossed his arms and pouted. What was a man with a small sum of money and no desire to work today to do? Opening and closing his uncomfortably dry mouth repeatedly, he tapped his foot for a few minutes before making his way to a dingy local inn and bar. Nothing like a bit of the old hair-of-the-dog to remove this headache and help make a decision for the day. Or perhaps he would simply stay there for the day, and figure out money later when he felt like it. Maybe tomorrow?
Thoughts swam through his head laden with hedonism and laziness, his gait slow and still imperfect on his way in to the building. Coming through the door he tripped and fell, doing his best to save face on his way back to his feet with a carefree smile that hid the terrible headache that plagued him. Stumbling his still sleepy legs to the bar, he slammed his hands down upon the counter and demanded the cheapest and largest beer available.
After a moment of impatiently tapping the countertop, he decided to find himself a seat while awaiting his order. Turning himself around in the chair to take a look at this run-down hole in the wall, he began making fun of the other patrons under his breath.
"Oh god, honey, I sure hope you have a great personality because you certainly aren't going to grab any suitors with that face. Look over there, it's Jolly Roger! Wonder if he lost all that hair facing a giant sea monster or something. Holy cow, look at the size of that man! I think I just found the sea monster..."
As the bartender dropped the pint down on the table Renatus was giggling like a mad fool at his own jokes, burying his face in his hands to keep his laughter down to a quiet volume. As soon as the beer was before him he dropped the humor and let out a shockingly high-pitched squeak of delight, compensated the bartender and immediately shoved the glass into his face and began chugging.
It was the beginning to a good day.
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Post by Charles Preston on May 5, 2014 19:25:32 GMT -6
Charlie stretched after an early morning run of the local market. His pockets now jingled with the morning’s work. The best part? None of the clueless locals had any idea that a seemingly innocent youth like himself was the culprit to pretty much all of the thieving in the near area. He’d come out away from central Aster to see about drumming up some funds for himself. He did need to get back to the gang eventually. He was sure they still needed him for some things but he needed a break every once in a while.
He had his hands in his pockets smiling to himself and walking toward a nearby inn and bar. The perfect place to get even more change, and maybe have a little fun with some of the locals. He walked in and looked around. Not much different than the other bars he’d been into. Patrons sat around drinking and reveling in their drunken glory. Well, might as well join in right?
Charlie walked up to the bar slowly. As he did, he passed several drunken customers unknowingly added to his already substantial pocket weight. It was almost too easy stealing in a bar. People just left purses hanging out or lying on the floor where a simple kick or swipe of a knife made quick work of them. By the time Charlie had reached the bar, the money in his pockets had almost doubled.
He stepped up to the bar where a man sat giggling to himself about gods know what. As soon as an ale was placed in front of him, the man let out an unlikely sound, only comparable to that of a field mouse who just found a mountain of cheese. Charlie had to stifle his own laughter watching the man chug the alcoholic liquid. He waved down the bartender and put down a generous amount of coins. “Give me something good.” He smirked a bit watching the bartender look at the coins then at his face. Charlie knew he looked too young to be there but it wouldn’t matter with the amount he’d put down. He looked over at the man who was still chugging his pint. “Getting an early start aren’t we?”
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Post by Deleted on May 5, 2014 21:18:26 GMT -6
About halfway through the mug some of the liquor went down the wrong pipe, leaving Ren choking like a fool in the middle of the bar. After a minute of clearing his now raw throat he could breathe properly again, but his desire to drink was less than average and he set the mug down. He would finish it later, to be sure, but for the moment he was enjoying sweet, sweet air. Until some little brat came in and ruined it, of course.
Obviously in the fairly crowded building he hadn't heard the teenager come up, but as he got close he certainly caught Ren's eye. After all, his bright hair and young appearance made him stick out quite noticeably, and the way the boy seemed to carry himself announced his mischief far more than words ever could. Narrowing his eyes Ren scoffed, only to raise one brow in incredulous disbelief as the youth placed an absurd amount of coin on the table to ask for a drink. The amount used to order the drink was more than Ren even carried on him at this point - not that he had too much to his name at this point in time. Now, where did he get so much money?
No doubt something illegal. He affirmed in his mind, almost taking another drink of his beer before remembering his choking episode moments before. His hand fell from his glass and his attention turned to the younger who had addressed him.
"Early start? You're one to talk. At least I waited until I was old enough." He dipped one of his fingers in his beer absent-mindedly, his pounding headache beginning to return so soon after it had started to fade. "Oh, you mean an early start to drinking today. Well, isn't that what everybody in here right now is here for?"
Discontent with the situation Renatus looked the younger up and down. While obviously youthful in appearance, he didn't seem too much younger than Ren and was somehow still taller by almost five inches. He caught his jaw tensing and his teeth grinding together. At times like this, he wished that he hadn't been cursed with such a small and slight appearance, because this kid seemed awfully arrogant to just walk in here and throw all that money on the table. Let alone to have the gall to talk to him! Did people in this country fail to understand or appreciate privacy? Maybe he should have just slept in, and enjoyed the company of the nags.
"What's someone who's as young as you doing, coming in here and throwing all that coin on the table like nothing? Sounds like someone looking for trouble." He observed, finally gaining the courage to take another drink of his beer, never taking his eyes of the rogue.
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Post by Charles Preston on May 5, 2014 21:43:35 GMT -6
Charlie’s smile never left though the man decided to point out his age. He just shrugged. “Age is just a number. Plus, how do I know you’re not lying? The way you were just chugging down that grog just screams that you live in a barrel. For all I know, you could’ve been drinking from the day you were born.” Charlie was pushing buttons he knew but it wasn’t like he’d ever had a hard time getting out of jams more complex than this. A couple jumps, maybe leaping off someone’s head, and he’d be out and gone before this man could even stand up without falling over.
He laughed at the man’s mention of looking for trouble. “I don’t look for trouble. I am trouble. I leave trouble in my wake, for those that I want to at least. As for my coin, you probably don’t want to know about that.” Charlie wanted so much to brag about how easy it was to get all that money in just a few hours but he knew he couldn’t. Though almost everyone in the place was drunk, the bartender was not. And they had a way of hearing absolutely everything that happened in their establishments. Charlie didn’t particularly feel like being caught and having to run and escape. At least, not this early in the morning.
The bartender dropped his ale off with a look of disdain. Charlie just shrugged off the look. People could think whatever they wanted of him. It wasn’t like any of them mattered. The only ones he cared about were the other members of the gang. And a certain couple out in Eastern Hryst, but that wasn’t something he would bring up. He started taking gulps of his drink while looking around at the others in the bar. Just a quick glance around and he already picked out four, make that five, easy purses to snatch if he needed to.
“So, what brings you to this fine establishment at such an early hour?” He figured that most of the people here were just off of work from overnight and looking to wind down before returning home to their beds.
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Post by Deleted on May 6, 2014 3:44:54 GMT -6
Renatus didn't particularly like how smug the younger man looked, not one bit. In his travels he had seen many like this young man - and perhaps been similar at his roughest points when he just begun to get on his feet - and he had little appreciation for the causal attitude that came along with the 'steal what you want' mentality. After all, this man was obviously a thief. He had the slender body and sly grace of one who ducked through crowds, the darting eyes that sought for loose purses to snatch from and soft hands that spoke of a life lacking hard physical labor.
“Age is just a number. Plus, how do I know you’re not lying? The way you were just chugging down that grog just screams that you live in a barrel. For all I know, you could’ve been drinking from the day you were born.”
Age is just a number? Was this guy serious? He couldn't help but chuckle, kicking his feet up on another nearby chair, taking up far too much room as he licked the rim of his mug. "Your words and wit are so sharp they may cut off my head yet." The sarcasm in his tone was laid on heavily. "I don't need to prove to you that I waited. I'm not here for your approval or your amusement. I'm just here to cure my hangover."
With that he took another huge drink. The room had begun to slow its spin as the alcohol was entering his bloodstream, but he wasn't back to normal just yet. Or back to drunk. Either one would work for him at this point, honestly. As the young man next to him laughed, he thought that perhaps drunk would have been the better option.
“I don’t look for trouble. I am trouble. I leave trouble in my wake, for those that I want to at least. As for my coin, you probably don’t want to know about that."
"You are trouble, hmm? Well, I'm not one to go out looking for it, myself. I don't want trouble, and I suppose that means I don't want you. Unless you get the idea to provide me with a charitable donation from your heavy purse this fine morning." Renatus was aware that he was being even more rude than usual, but his head hurt, and something about this young man's confidence brought out his own insecurities in a way he didn't quite like. "What brings me here? Like I said, I'm fixing this headache. The old 'hair of the dog what bit you,' as they say. Works like a charm when strangers aren't popping up and interrupting your fantastic drink."
Some part of Ren knew he was lying about the quality of the drink. The beer was cheap, just as he had ordered, and tasted little better than swill. Perhaps breakfast would have been a wiser choice, now that he was awake enough to think about the situation at hand. Of course, it was too late. Breakfast had lost to liquor, or was liquor breakfast? It didn't matter. He took another swig, getting a good long look at the young man once again, his somber blue eyes doing their best to pierce through.
"And what about you, Miscreant? Seems a bit early - both in hours and years - for you to be getting a drink as well."
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Post by Charles Preston on May 6, 2014 10:48:44 GMT -6
“Miscreant?” Charlie looked over at the man with a raised eyebrow and a smirk. He took another gulp of his drink still smirking. “Miscreant is a rather strong word don’t you think? After all, it doesn’t seem like you have much to your name right now. Though, I could always help if you’re so inclined for an easy purse. That being said, drunk thievery usually doesn’t work out well.” He took another gulp not noticing the bartender taking note of the conversation. Charlie looked back at the man. “As for why I’m out here, because I want to. I wouldn’t be here otherwise. Besides, bars are the easiest places to score some quick cash.”
Charlie finished his drink and put the cup down. He wasn’t eager to get another one just yet. The day was still young and there was still much to be done. He looked back at the man. “I wonder just how much longer I can actually push your buttons until you try something. Or, I could show you how to score a quick fix that should last you a few days, unless you try to purchase the largest and best drinks this place has.” He shrugged and stretched. “Up to you stranger.”
As Charlie continued the conversation, the bartender sent out a messenger to alert the local law of Charlie’s presence in the bar. The guards were on their way out quickly while Charlie sat looking around at all of the people inside the bar. It didn’t take long before the guards arrived and busted through the doors. Charlie saw them and turned to the man.
“Looks like I’ll have to show you things later.” He flipped a few coins at him. “See you later stranger.” He quickly slipped off to the right side of the bar and leapt for the open window. He rolled onto the ground outside and took off down the alley. He didn’t particularly want to be caught yet. He only had a small knife to defend himself and he still needed to get back to the gang with what he had.
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Post by Deleted on May 6, 2014 18:42:04 GMT -6
Ren arched one brow as the younger man spoke, a wave of confusion washing over him. Was this kid, his younger, offering to tutor him on the ways of thievery? To become some sort of common criminal? Maybe at one point Renatus would have appreciated the help, having been forced to steal to survive during his younger days, but now? He wasn't the most legitimate of men, but he had certainly made a career through somewhat questionable legality as opposed to malicious intent and roguishness.
"I'm no thief, and I have no interest in breaking the law - or my neck on a noose, if you get my drift. And I'll have you know-"
The city guards burst into the room, making no attempt at being quiet in their entry or procedure. Immediately Ren jumped to his feet in a reflexive panic that became far more real when he saw them pointing towards him and his new friend. Turning towards the strange young man he saw that the youth was already halfway out the window. His mouth opened and closed a few times in shock and confusion. Despite his lack of association the guards seemed to still take an interest in him, heading his way. Why? It wasn't like he had done anything! Looking down at the counter he saw the coins sitting, clearly offered for him. He could feel the blood drain from his face as he became a shade paler than usual.
The bartender must have heard and made assumptions. And now the guards were assuming, too, since that boy had just thrown him money. In everybody's eyes he was an associate Joy.
Clenching his knuckles so hard they turned white and breathing deeply, he realized what had to be done. An unkempt outsider with little money and potential thievery associates? The odds of him simply being let go were dramatically small, and there was no way they were just going to pat him on the back and wish him a pleasant day. With a wide variety of loud curses, he pushed his way past everybody in his way and made a leap through the window that even impressed himself. Rolling back onto his feet with a few scrapes and bruises, he heard the sounds of shouting behind him. This is no time to panic, Renatus. He thought to himself, trying to calm down. Before he knew it, a guard was out of the building and headed his way. Ren panicked.
With everything he had Renatus ran after the young man who had put him in this situation. He may not have been the fastest sprinter, but panic and adrenaline can fuel a man very far, and before he knew it he was caught up with the smug little piece of dung. A more graceful or capable man may have tried to stop the chase, but Renatus was neither of those. Instead he did his best just to keep up.
"You idiot!" He screamed, already beginning to become out of breath. "You're going to get me out of this mess, do you hear me? And then when you do, you are going to leave me alone and keep your nose out of other peoples' business!"
He was so frustrated and stressed, if he thought he could get away with wringing the other's neck until he dropped dead he might have.
At least his hangover seemed gone now, though.
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Post by Charles Preston on May 6, 2014 19:09:21 GMT -6
As Charlie was running, he heard the stranger yelling at him about getting him out of trouble and leaving him alone. Charlie couldn’t help but laugh. “Well, keep up and you have nothing to worry about.” He ran quickly seeing a seven foot tall chain link fence in front of them. He smirked and quickly jumped to one side of the alley and kicked off of the wall toward the other side then kicked and sailed over the fence. He landed rolling on the other side. He stretched and looked back down the alley to see the guards still chasing them. He went to the barred door and let his stranger acquaintance through before slamming the door and barring it again. “Shall we continue?”
He smirked and took off again down the alley and out into the open street. He knew the guards would need to go back around the building to get to them but that was only a 90 second run around. Not much time for two people to get away. “Keep up stranger.” He darted off to his right and down the sidewalk. He bumped into people as he ran but ignored their cries. Suddenly guards ran out in front of him. Charlie looked around quickly before jumping to his right kick off the wall then jump on one of the guards heads. He landed behind them and darted across the street, smirking the entire way through. He hadn’t really needed to do it but he enjoyed the challenge of a stirred up nest.
“You still back there stranger?” He didn’t wait for an answer before ducking into another alley the down into a cellar. He waited for the man to duck in before slamming the door and sliding a wooden beam across the handles. He smiled at the man. “You’re not too bad for keeping up. Not everyone can keep up with me. But, we aren’t out of this yet.” He turned away from the cellar doors and toward a storage room that sat underneath the restaurant above. He didn’t even seem out of breath as he looked around the room. “We need to keep moving. You’ve got another ten seconds to catch your breath before we move on again.”
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Post by Deleted on May 10, 2014 0:13:41 GMT -6
Keep up, keep up. That young man kept repeating himself, obviously anticipating Ren to fall behind. That mocking, somewhat sarcastic tone worked as a positive motivator for Renatus and pushed him past what his endurance would have normally allowed. As he did run he clenched his fists to tight his knuckles turned white, and something of a crude sneer found its way onto his face. This was definitely not the sign of a good day, despite how optimistic he was at its beginning.
As the young man jumped and dodged like a pro, Renatus was less than graceful in comparison. His attempts to climb over the chain link fence were successful, but consisted of fumbling and numerous scrapes. Pushing through the crowds with his head ducked low and his arms around his chest he forced numerous people out of the way. Shutting out the screams of shock from those he made his way around he attempted to follow that stranger, the closest thing to a savior he could have - even though this same man was the same one who brought him into this mess.
How on earth did that guy manage to be so agile? While Ren's legs and lungs burned, this stranger jumped around like he was born in a circus. Ducking into the alleyway, Ren almost collided with the stranger who had stopped. Surprised, he took the opportunity to try and catch his breath. Chest heaving rapidly, he looked with a fusion of annoyance and spite towards the young man.
“We need to keep moving. You’ve got another ten seconds to catch your breath before we move on again.”
Wrought with disbelief, Ren buried his face in his hands and let out a moan of despair. His hangover was now gone, but replaced with the obvious stress of the current situation.
"Ten seconds? Ten seconds?" Anger was obvious in Ren's voice. He continued to speak between his grit teeth, taking pauses briefly between words to get a deep breath. "Who are you? And why did you drag me into this mess?"
Hunching over with his hands on his knees he gave his body a moment to relax, knowing quite well that he was going to be forced to run. Either that or turn himself in. Perhaps that was the best idea - otherwise he may not be able to work in Aster again, and that would be a major inconvenience for him in the long run. Or, if he could only disable this stranger and turn him in...No, that was impossible. At least right now. Perhaps at the right moment, however? This situation was so overly complicated, he could hardly stand it.
"All I wanted was a drink. A drink and a pleasant morning, and to do absolutely nothing today. Do you know what absolutely nothing means? It sure doesn't mean running through the city like some sort of- some sort of-" He waved his hands in the general direction of the young man. "Some sort of crook! How could you do this?"
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Post by Charles Preston on May 14, 2014 11:43:18 GMT -6
Charlie couldn’t help but laugh at the guy. He had been running with Charlie and was accusing him? “You started running with me. You didn’t have to come after me. I’m sure the bartender heard our conversation and would’ve told the guards that you were just there. It’s not my fault you decided to chase after me. It’s too late now though. You ran which now makes you even more suspicious.”
Charlie was counting in his head for the guards. It was only about sixty seconds until they got into the restaurant. He looked around the shelves of the cellar. All sorts of food lay around. He walked over to one shelf and grabbed a sweet roll. He tossed one at the stranger. “This is what I call fast food.” He stuffed the roll in his mouth before going to the door from the cellar to the restaurant. “Alright. All we need to do is get out of the restaurant, run right down the street past three alleys. That fourth alley has a secret door in the side that will take us through the buildings and onto another street. We’ll be able to part ways there, as long as you keep up.”
Charlie gave the man a quick smirk before jumping out of the doors into the restaurant. He saw the guards outside the window. He quickly darted toward the doors then sprinted to the right, pushing people out of the way as he went. He ran past the first two alleys before a big man stood right in his way. The man looked at him and stood still as if waiting for him to bump him. Charlie smirked again and slid between the man’s legs. He pulled out his knife and cut the guy’s ankle causing him to shout and fall over. That should give the stranger an opening to keep up.
Charlie bounced back onto his feet and ducked into the fourth alley. The door looked just like the rest of the wall but there was a small hidden button on the ground. Charlie stepped on it and watched the door open. He waited for the stranger to run in before slamming it shut before the guards could see where they had gone.
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