• Graded • Runaway Reunion

[Rei'sari]

20th Cylus, 720

Location: ---


The thief didn't seem like he was going anywhere any time soon. Not with the way he'd been pinned down by one of the men who had been chasing him with her. Ari'sora took the opportunity to try and catch her breath, her sides heaving from her prolonged flight, and the effort of dodging obstacles in her path rather than flying above them as she usually would.

To her surprise, the thief recognized one of the men who had been chasing him. Apparently his name was Darius, and the thief's name was Nael. Ari'sora made a mental note of that as she tried to make sense of the situation. Nael seemed to hope for some kind of salvation from Darius, at least if she was reading the look he was giving the other man right. Ari'sora offered the dagger she was holding to Darius since he seemed to be the one in charge here.

When the thief...Nael...asked them what would happen now, Ari'sora looked to Darius and the other man uncertainly. The thief had broken the law, and he deserved to be punished for that. Nael's comment about earning money gave her mixed feelings. She knew that people had to make money in order to survive. But why couldn't he get a real job? One that wasn't illegal? Was there a reason why he couldn't, or was it by his own choice? In either case, places like Beacon existed for people who needed help...was there a reason why he couldn't have gone to Beacon instead of stealing?

"We should turn him in to the Elements." she said at last.

"Shouldn't we?"

The Elements were responsible for dealing with people who broke the law, after all.

[Balthazar Black]

20 Cylus 720

Balthazar watched the thief with hate in his eyes. Hate that he couldn't hide because of the sparks beginning to dance around his arms. Damn mutations telling everyone when Balthazar was angry. He took a deep breath to try and clear his mind of his more... primitive impulse. He wasn't in Yaralon anymore. Scalvoris had different laws and he bent them all the time. He had to try to be self-aware. Darius recognized the man and Balthazar gave him a sideways glance. Friends in low places? Who was Balthazar to judge. He was in love with a smuggler. What was one thief in the grand scheme of things? At least he hadn't stabbed anyone with the dagger he'd stolen.

So what was to happen now? Balthazar didn't answer. He knelt down, grabbed the thief by his shirt, and pulled him up to his feet. Then he turned him and grabbed the back of his shirt so he couldn't run. It Darius hadn't recognized him, Balthazar might have been just a little more rough than needed. He was still mad, but he was trying his best to get over it. He kept taking deep breaths and fortunately his mind had cleared when Ari'sora answered the question hanging in the air. Balthazar turned to her, "Not necessarily. Was anybody really hurt?" Balthazar asked in a calm voice. "We have the dagger, we can return it. The Elements have enough to deal with already they don't need to handle a failed thief. Darius, he's your friend. If you'll assume responsibility, take him. If not, we can get the Elements and let them deal with him?" Balthazar suggested.

[Darius Baer]

Although Nael was the one with three figures standing over him, it was Darius who felt trapped. In truth, the blond hadn't looked into those beady eyes for several arcs, and he wondered if the man before him had changed at all. By his actions, it seemed as though he hadn't. Still stealing from the market, just as they had done as children.

Moral objections aside, the fact that Nael was still lurking on the other side of the law might mean he had information. There were missing children and, while Darius doubted his former friend was directly involved, he might have seen or heard something. If he was handed over to the Elements and thrown before a judge to explain his thievery, there was no telling how many children might be kidnapped before the truth came to light.

The bearded human's thought process was interrupted first by Ari'sora, who handed him the stolen dagger, and then by Balthazar forcing the thief to his feet. Both of his fellow would-be vigilantes appeared to be waiting for him to respond, and - he suddenly realised with no small amount of surprise - so was Nael.

Darius lifted the dagger, tightening his grip around the hilt, and turning his wrist so that the blade shimmered with the reflection of the dusky Cylus sun.

"Leave him to me," he spoke in his deep, gravelly tone, his gaze never leaving Nael as the thief shifted awkwardly within Balthazar's grasp. "I'll ensure the dagger gets returned to its rightful owner. The Elements have their hands full trying to find those kids who've been kidnapped."

He paused, waiting to see if the weaselly criminal might react to him mentioning the missing children, but Nael only had eyes for the sharp blade that was being threateningly brandished nearby. When Darius realised the thief wasn't about to offer a full confession to a mass kidnapping, he grabbed hold of the man by his shirt in much the same way that Balthazar had. He thanked his two pursuit companions, and - assuming they didn't prevent him from leaving - he led the scrawny figure out of the alleyway and back towards the market for a meeting with the dagger's owner about consequences and to provide him with a crash course in basic physicsFor every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction..

[Rei'sari]

20th Cylus, 720

Location: ---


Apparently the matter wasn't as simple as she had assumed it to be. Her first impulse was to insist that the thief be turned over to the Elements. They were the law enforcement here in Scalvoris after all. But the man who had caught the thief countered her suggestion with a number of questions that made her think.

Had anyone gotten hurt? No...Ari'sora had to admit that no one had gotten hurt. And that was a good thing. Racing through the crowds as they had been, it would have been far too easy for one of them, or even worse, an innocent bystander to get hurt.

The idea that they could return the dagger was a given. Of course they would. It simply hadn't occurred to Ari'sora that that wouldn't happen. It was only right that the dagger be returned to its true owner, after all.

The next issue was what really gave her pause. The Elements were too busy to deal with a criminal? That seemed...off to Ari'sora. Wasn't it their job to deal with criminals? And yet...Darius mentioned the kidnapped children, and it started to make more sense to her. This man was a criminal, yes. But he was a thief, and a petty one at that. If the Elements were dealing with worse crimes than petty theft and were focused on trying to save the kidnapped children, then they shouldn't bother them with something that was small in comparison...right?

At the same time, the thief needed to be punished for what he had done. Of that, Ari'sora was absolutely certain. The thief had committed a crime, and he needed to be punished for that. He had mentioned needing money, yes...but there were ways to earn money legally. And presumably, no one was forcing him to steal somehow because if they were, he would have said that...right?

"I guess it's okay if you take him..." she said at last, her tone conflicted somewhat, matching her feelings on the matter.

"But you need to make sure that he is punished for his crime." she said firmly.

It was only right, after all.

[Balthazar Black]

20 Cylus 720

All things considered that hadn't gone so poorly. Balthazar let Darius take the thief from him and gave the man one last death stare. Balthazar wasn't intimidating but he could certainly get hate across with a gaze. He'd practiced a lot in his life. Darius thanked them and Balthazar gave him a curt nod then watched them go. He was waiting for the thief to make a move. He might even have wanted Nael to do something stupid like make a run for it just so he could hit him... but that was a violent thought Balthazar had to suppress. He really needed to talk to someone about his anger issues one trial.

The Avriel certainly didn't seem happy about their decision but she didn't scream for the Elements so that was something. She agreed and Darius took the thief from them. "Darius is a good man. The thief will pay for his crime." Was all Balthazar offered to Ari'sora before he turned to leave. He wasn't making a hasty exit because he didn't want to put her at ease, he was doing it because he had work to do. The Elements were still looking for the missing children after all and he'd been volunteering with them for quite some time now. If he wasn't needed there, he'd find somewhere he was needed. Isabella told him the best way to practice his new magic would be to explore new places. Balthazar had taken that as advice to work more.

[Pig Boy]

Ari'sora

Experience: 15 no magic xp

Knowledge:

Discipline: dealing with crowds in order to get a necessary task done
Unarmed Combat (Brawling): creating a space to move around in in a crowd by using your wings to make the crowd draw back
Flying: flying low to the ground is more difficult than flying high in the sky due to the need of avoiding obstacles in your path
Flying: backwing to change directions in mid flight
Flying: changing directions while flying at high speed isn't easy
Flying: every beat of your wings creates a down draft that can bother others if flying at a low altitude
Detection: searching for one person in a crowd
Detection: trying to keep an eye on someone while flying
Flying: flying low to the ground causes more strain than flying at higher altitudes
Running: avoiding obstacles on the ground while running

Renown: 10 for helping stop a crime

Skill Usage: appropriate to level

Loot/Losses: none

Injuries/Conditions: none

Consequences: none

Balthazar

Experience: 15 no magic xp

Knowledge:

Running: x 6
Persuasion: x 4

Renown: 10 for helping stop a crime

Skill Usage: Appropriate to level

Loot/Losses: none

Injuries/Conditions: none

Consequences: none

Darius

Experience: 15 no magic

Knowledge:

Knowledge:
Acrobatics: Your hands will instinctively attempt to catch your fall.
Acrobatics: A running jump can help you get somewhere quickly.
Intimidation: Standing over someone can be very persuasive.
Intimidation: Press the advantage.
Navigation: You can take more than one route to the same destination.
Navigation: Cutting corners can make for a shorter route.
Negotiation: Find common ground.
Negotiation: Don't be afraid to hold your ground.
Running: Watch your step!
Running: Cutting corners can make for a faster run.

Non-Skill Knowledges:

PC:
Ari'sora: Can fly.
Ari'sora: Believes in the rule of law.
Balthazar: Is a mage.
Balthazar: Has an angry streak.

Renown: 15 for helping stop a crime, and speaking up on the criminal's behalf

Skill Usage: Appropriate to level

Loot/Losses: none

Injuries/Conditions: none

Consequences: Babysitting a thief. You may be held responsible if they commit another crime spree.

Comments: Hmmm interesting little collab. I like how Darius worked it into his other thread by making the thief somebody he knows. I wonder if he's really ready to accept responsibility for that thief, or if the ne'erdowell will let him down and commit more crimes? His reputation may be at stake!

The chase itself had the ring of 'too many cooks' at some points, which led to some interesting spills at certain points with the rupture portals. Overall, was a good action-oriented thread. Enjoy the points and knowledges!

If you have any concerns about this review, please PM me about them.