It wasn't that he needed to, it was because he wanted to.
Kade Anvar had come to Annuakat all the way from Ragash. Which, for a seasoned adventurer might not be a long way, but for Kade? It was the single longest journey for his life. You really got an idea of the sheer scale of the Empire by traveling through it, that was for sure. Anyway, the reason he'd come to Annuakat was to participate in the Tower of Tribulations, a contest held by none other than Medja, the Vizier of Stars herself. Kade did...reasonably well. Reasonably meaning here that he at least wasn't limping home with a busted leg and a black eye--or worse.
Almost time to return home to Ragash, as it was. The caravan bound there (and the caravan which actually agreed to take him along without charging him an arm and a leg) was to be ready within a small matter of days. So that left time for Kade to explore Annuakat, see the sights, talk to the cityfolk, maybe find another nice little souvenir to bring back home for his younger sister and brother, Aisha and Tahir. Everything he owned fit neatly inside the satchel strapped over his shoulder, and, well, there was room yet for more.
So here he was in Annuakat's Grand Market.
Among the crowds so thick at times that he had to squeeze shoulder-to-shoulder past people, beneath the desert sun and amidst the heat of the afternoon. Shade from overhanging cloth canopies fluctuated as the breeze of the day (a bit windy, huh) flapped and fluttered these oases of respite from the sun's direct glare. The din of conversation and cries of the merchant hawkers were so pervasive as to become mere background noise to anyone who spent longer than ten minutes here. For Kade, it was his element.
He had the itch in his hands. And it wasn't for the noble purpose for trying to swipe coin or food to provide for his siblings, to snatch something that his mother needed, to grab something that might help his crippled father. Nope. None of that. Kade, for the longest time, had always assured himself that what he did, he did out of necessity. Of course. He had to. His family was poor, and, well, an empty stomach--or worse, watching the people you love suffer from their empty stomachs--had a way of making one's morals malleable.
But...that wasn't the case here in Annuakat.
It wasn't that he needed to, it was because he wanted to.
So Kade went through the market, tossing about the idea of a little pickpocketing, why he shouldn't do it and why, hell, it'd be fine, don't worry about it, you've got this, this is nothing. Then, when at last the decision tipped over onto the risky side of the scales, his eyes found a mark. Someone with their back turned at one of the vendor stalls and with a pouch on their belt.
Kade approached. Casually. From the side, like he was just gonna walk on past, just like everybody else going by, nothing untoward here, no sir. And as Kade was going by, a deft hand trailed behind him, loosing the pouch from the belt of the mark--
Except the person snatched his wrist as soon as the pouch was in his hand and turned about to face him. Kade could absolutely feel the plummeting of his heart in his chest, sinking down like a heavy stone tossed into a lake. Despite it, he tried to keep a cool expression and demeanor, even while being caught red-handed.
"I'll admit, not the best way to say hello."
Kade Anvar had come to Annuakat all the way from Ragash. Which, for a seasoned adventurer might not be a long way, but for Kade? It was the single longest journey for his life. You really got an idea of the sheer scale of the Empire by traveling through it, that was for sure. Anyway, the reason he'd come to Annuakat was to participate in the Tower of Tribulations, a contest held by none other than Medja, the Vizier of Stars herself. Kade did...reasonably well. Reasonably meaning here that he at least wasn't limping home with a busted leg and a black eye--or worse.
Almost time to return home to Ragash, as it was. The caravan bound there (and the caravan which actually agreed to take him along without charging him an arm and a leg) was to be ready within a small matter of days. So that left time for Kade to explore Annuakat, see the sights, talk to the cityfolk, maybe find another nice little souvenir to bring back home for his younger sister and brother, Aisha and Tahir. Everything he owned fit neatly inside the satchel strapped over his shoulder, and, well, there was room yet for more.
So here he was in Annuakat's Grand Market.
Among the crowds so thick at times that he had to squeeze shoulder-to-shoulder past people, beneath the desert sun and amidst the heat of the afternoon. Shade from overhanging cloth canopies fluctuated as the breeze of the day (a bit windy, huh) flapped and fluttered these oases of respite from the sun's direct glare. The din of conversation and cries of the merchant hawkers were so pervasive as to become mere background noise to anyone who spent longer than ten minutes here. For Kade, it was his element.
He had the itch in his hands. And it wasn't for the noble purpose for trying to swipe coin or food to provide for his siblings, to snatch something that his mother needed, to grab something that might help his crippled father. Nope. None of that. Kade, for the longest time, had always assured himself that what he did, he did out of necessity. Of course. He had to. His family was poor, and, well, an empty stomach--or worse, watching the people you love suffer from their empty stomachs--had a way of making one's morals malleable.
But...that wasn't the case here in Annuakat.
It wasn't that he needed to, it was because he wanted to.
So Kade went through the market, tossing about the idea of a little pickpocketing, why he shouldn't do it and why, hell, it'd be fine, don't worry about it, you've got this, this is nothing. Then, when at last the decision tipped over onto the risky side of the scales, his eyes found a mark. Someone with their back turned at one of the vendor stalls and with a pouch on their belt.
Kade approached. Casually. From the side, like he was just gonna walk on past, just like everybody else going by, nothing untoward here, no sir. And as Kade was going by, a deft hand trailed behind him, loosing the pouch from the belt of the mark--
Except the person snatched his wrist as soon as the pouch was in his hand and turned about to face him. Kade could absolutely feel the plummeting of his heart in his chest, sinking down like a heavy stone tossed into a lake. Despite it, he tried to keep a cool expression and demeanor, even while being caught red-handed.
"I'll admit, not the best way to say hello."
So I'm trying out using the "quick write" tag for this thread. Essentially, I think the tag would be good for indicating threads that are meant to be short. Little stories, quick RPs that don't necessarily have to go for long. I think "quick writes" would be good for test-driving new characters, odd or quirky situations, little bits of character building, seeing how well two characters get along, establishing an acquaintance between two characters that could be built upon later in other threads, and small slice-of-life events and everyday moments (not every thread has to be epic). That's the intent, and I want to see how it works. Join me and let's see.
