Wading Through Time [Trouble, Please]

[Thallius Eventide]

Melora, in the season of Winter, Era I of the Celestine Mandate, Era XV Post Fractum

As new to Jaedaxia as Thallius and Devlin were, they couldn't help but lose themselves within its streets and stick close to one another. It was quite a busy place, which was something of a plus for them, no matter how much they recoiled from getting misplaced in heavy crowds. More people meant less notice for the two of them, but also bred discomfort of a different sort, and so they were sure not to step in opposite directions or stick their hands in anyone's pockets for now.

Jaedaxia had a very "ancient" feel about it, as though it and its inhabitants were remnants of a long and curious history. It was kind of like wading through time, as they shifted here and there through the moving crowds, picking their way along the city streets in attempt to find less populated ground.

The two of them, fortunately, happened upon a smaller street that veered away from the main ones, with fewer people and fewer chances to get confused their first day there. They stood silently with each other as they both looked about themselves, trying to figure out where to go or what to do next. They had little to no money and thus could hardly afford any more than one more meal for the both of them. It would be a hard month to follow. Thallius was getting worried.

As though reading his mind, the halfling frowned at him. "We need to work somethin' out, Eventide," he warned.

Thallius did not look at him but frowned. He knew that all too well.

[Trouble]

Thallius was worried and rightly so, because his luck was about to take an even worse turn. People were walking past, to and fro, on the busy Jaedaxian street. The wind was blowing and winter had not yet relinquished its hold on the city. Jeadaxian winters held on tight and released their victims only with the greatest of reluctance, allowing spring to finally begin to timidly gain a foothold, but that day was cycles away and this brightening was clearly still winter.

As people jostled one another on the street Thallius felt a particular sort of jostle, or perhaps imagined he did, and caught sight of a young man in a brown coat, just as he turned the corner headed east. If Thallius were to check - his money was missing. All of it. Cei la vie in Jaedaxia.

[Thallius Eventide]

Well, well, well. What irony was this? Thallius could have rammed his stiletto right through a certain man's body if he hadn't moved away so fast. The human growled.

"We have to work something out all right," he responded. "That bastard just made away with what crowns I had on me."

"WHAT?!"

Devlin's face was red. Usually the two of them split the money between themselves, having gained knowledge from the practice of theft themselves. But 30 crowns? Come on, children sometimes had more than that.

There wasn't any time to think. Both men, without further conversation, were bolting east in pursuit. Thallius hoped to the high heavens he'd be able to land a fist or two right where it would hurt.

[Trouble]

The young man in the brown coat could be seen in the distance from time to time. He was fairly good at blending in with the crowd and was unremarkable in appearance. There were many average sized, lean young human men wearing brown coats, but Thallius and Devlin stalked him - occasionally bumping other citizens in their haste. They received several hand gestures telling them what the good citizens of Jaedaxia thought of their jostling and several verbal remonstrations as well. One larger man with a scar gave Thallius a shove as he went by. "Eh, watch yerself! I'll teach you some manners if you don't!" and shook a meaty fist at him.

The pursuit wandered still east until they were near the docks. Sailors and longshoremen wandered the streets, drunk and looking for trouble. Women wandered the streets, drunk and looking for sailors and longshoremen looking for trouble. A few other citizens wandered through the area, checking out the fish stalls and the oyster stands. It was here in this questionable part of town that they finally lost him. He must have entered one of the buildings somewhere in this miserable part of Jaedaxia.

[Thallius Eventide]

Thallius was half concerned with being wailed one right in the face in his haste to catch the thief, but was fortunate enough to make it to the docks without so much as strong words and gestures. Still, the docks were hardly a break to freedom from dangers such as those. The people who walked the area about the two unfortunate men seemed as seedy as any other.

Thallius swore. They had lost the fellow in the brown coat, and were at a loss now that it came time be clever. They could go searching buildings, but the gods knew where that would get them. They were better off screaming at everyone around them for any hints as to where any suspicious characters had gone.

Devlin paused in attempt to find a citizen who looked innocent enough; someone who might have been a traveler perusing the seafood stalls. He removed his hat out of respect, and partly out of frustration.

"Excuse me... Might you have seen an average-looking fellow with a brown coat wander this way?"

[Trouble]

The man turned to meet Thallius. He looked him over and was not especially happy with what he saw. He was trying to get fish for his master's evening meal and now this interruption, and from ... Well, he was not one of Jaedaxia's better citizens Anton would guess.

"A man,, common in appearance, and wearing a brown coat. Mon Dieu! Do you jest with me man? Can't you see...." He stopped abruptly and tilted his head, recalling the man he'd seen rushing through the crowd. "There was a man, rushing he was, pushing people out of the way in a most rude manner. I am so disgusted by the manners of the people of Jaedaxia today. In my father's day people didn't just shove their way through the crowd, but there seems to be an entirely new sensibility these days that suggests that that sort of behavior is not only condoned, but that it is de riggour! It is simply a sign of the decline of this great city. I saddens me greatly. Oh, yes - your question. He rushed into the bait shop over there." The man pointed to a small building with a sign that had a worm on a hook.

The building stood alone and looked moderately well cared for. There was a front door off of the street and one window in the front. The side near Thallius had two windows up high and barred.

[Thallius Eventide]

Blah, blah, blah. That was all Thallius heard as he attempted to listen to the man ranting on and on about things the thief didn't care about. Devlin was beginning to acquire a tic in his left eyebrow or something - but it didn't seem as though either of the human's noticed. Finally, there was a break in what seemed to be an ageless collection of useless words, in which "man" and "brown coat" came together to make infinite sense.

He went that way!

"Thanks," Thallius managed to mutter before leaving quickly in that direction, partly hoping he could slip away from his new acquaintance's presence without hearing anymore.

Devlin followed along shortly, and the two then paused at the door to recollect themselves. Surely the fellow would have known the two were there by now, if he were as paranoid as he should be. So it was really too late to sneak through and catch him by surprise. Even then, what could they really do besides attempt to take their loot back by force? That never ended well, either way.

So Thallius knocked on the door. Oh well.

[Trouble]

Thallius knocked on the door of the bait shop. After a few moments he heard a deep voice bellow a stream of curses, both in common and in what they supposed were other languages. Out of the stream of curses which made the air itself seem to blanche and shudder they were able to make out, "Knockin' on the door? It's a shop man. Iffin yer in want of some bait, open the fething door and ENTER! Ya wants I should get a door man to open it for ya! You think this is a royal palace or something? Gods and Demons the citizens of this whore of a city get dumber by the day."

The voice was not friendly. It was also loud and people in the street who were walking by paused to look in surprise at the tirade that was exploding from within the shop, only to shrug and resume their own tasks after a second or two. Most of the regulars were familiar with the temperament of the Baitshop's owner, but there were always new fresh faces in the port, and for some this was their introduction to the lovely city of Jaedaxia.

[Thallius Eventide]

Sounded a bit more like "home", really. The swears and the curses were like those Thallius were used to, and he didn't even mind it at all. For some reason, every city drew a character such as himself into the dirtier nooks and crannies of an area, and the pristine, outward impression of Jaedaxia was beginning to make him feel far out of place. But this - this was a little better.

Without much thought he opened the door and let himself in, allowing entry for the halfling companion who was following silently along. The two glanced about themselves warily before acknowledging the one who had spoken through the door. Thallius quirked a brow. Then, quickly, he dismissed the expression. The owner might not take it a complimentary way.

What to say, though?

He didn't say anything. Instead, he began to look around as though he were in search of something to buy. Nevermind that every crown he had had been snaked away from his possession. The halfling took the hint and looked like a prospective buyer as well. While Thallius prepared to ask trade-productive questions of the owner, Devlin sought to find a way to look for other entryways, exits, rooms, or even people in the shop without looking all that suspicious. If the fellow had his eyes on the two with too much intent attention, it was possible they would have to simply keep their thoughts on him.

[Trouble]

As Thallius entered he noticed that the shop had more than one room. The room he was in had bins filled with ice and various kinds of small baitfish, eels and things like worms, grubs and, in cages, crickets. The only person in this room was A tall heavy man in a white apron which was grimey. There was a door behind the center counter leading into the back.

The man stood for several moments with his arms crossed across his chest glaring at his two new customers until he finally said, "Were you two planning on actually buying something today? You don't look like a typical swabbie. Tryin' out a new hobby?"

[Thallius Eventide]

Thallius had gone fishing plenty of times during his Air'riela days. He had done so occasionally as well between travels, but that was when he had had a pole that wasn't far beyond working capacity. It had been a few years at most now, though. He doubted he looked like any more than a vagabond with nothing better to do. He had never looked much like a "swabbie" at all.

He rubbed at his head. "Actually, uh," he said on impulse, "I wouldn't suppose you have any jobs available, would you?"

All he was really thinking about was that room in the back. He wondered if it was simply another exit. But what other way would he get access there unless he were some type of employee? Maybe the guy would show him in right away.

Stupid plan, but there weren't many others floating around.

[Trouble]

The man was clearly dismayed by Thallius' question. He had had several suspicions about why these two had entered his shop, but job hunting had not been among them. He uncrossed his arms and put his hands on the counter, leaning his considerable weight on them.

He gave the pair a good looking over and narrowed his eyes. "A job. And what sort of a job might you be looking for?"

There was a chill in the air, and it had very little to do with the temperature of the air sneaking into the cracks in the building.

[Thallius Eventide]

For a moment, Thallius couldn't help but wonder what kind of business this man led on the side of a bait shop, or even behind it. Something about the look on his face just sent all kinds of flags up in the back of the young thief's mind. The thief and his companion did a brief exchange of glances, as both of them had idle thoughts pertaining to this particular subject. Hm.

"Well," Thallius began warily, beginning to feel at the seams within his pockets simply out of habit. "Not to say you need help but... we're good workers if you're looking for that kind." He chewed a bit on the thought. "You looking for particular skills, by chance?"

[Trouble]

The large man tilted his head and gave the pair another good look. They could see the muscle in the man's jaw working, as if in time to the thoughts that must be going on in his head. He sucked his teeth for a moment and then said, "Well now... There's skills, and there's skills. Course a bait shop can always use some muscle to haul boxes of fish and guts, but sometimes it's a more ... subtle type of skill as is needed, see. And workin in a .. bait shop ain't always for the faint of heart, the soft of heart or those with weak stomachs."

The man removed his hands from the counter and continued examining the pair. It made Thallius feel vaguely like an old nag for sale getting his teeth checked - and found slightly wanting.

[Thallius Eventide]

The corner of Thallius's mouth almost gave way to a flash of teeth. So there was something the fellow was looking for, and it was what the rogue might have suspected. Maybe it was just their luck that they had chanced upon an employee of this man himself. And maybe... well, maybe, Thallius would manage to think of something further in this makeshift and terrible plan of his.

"I might happen to have those skills you're looking for," the young human man said. "You're looking for someone who knows subtlety? I'd say I know it very well - from years of experience."

It was the truth. But even the truth had to pass those initial tests. Subtlety was a suspicious business and it wasn't going to be that easy to pass through this fellow's door.

Still, he couldn't help but think that now, this was more than getting his money back. What if this would be beneficial to him to stay in this business, if it turned out to be what he thought it was?