A crown ill-gotten is a crown ill-spent - RPLOG
Participants
Date
24/7/478
Log
Terry darts into the safety of the Inn, sparing a quick glance behind him as he tries to lose himself amid the crowd. He slips into one of the far booths, hoping not to have been seen, and takes a few deep breaths to calm himself down. He's got clutched in his hand the only coin that he managed to keep after having dipped his greedy paws into a merchant's cash box while he was distracted, having dropped all the rest in the ensuing run from him and every other being that answered the merchant's calls for help. The ocelot runs his hand through his hair, straightening it as he considers what to do next. Maybe hole up in here for a bit...
A smile on Katrina's lips as she meanders through the streets, having seen the chase from afar... Now, she's casually striding through the marketplace, her tail swishing behind her and her ears flicking lightly as she moves with her usual, practiced grace, hips swaying lightly as she makes her way towards the inn Terry entered...
As for the coin Terry has in his paw, at least it's a valuable one... A single crown.
Terry licks his lips as he regards the coin, flipping it over his fingers. The inn's common room swirls with the scents of freshly baked pastries, roast meat and hearty stews, making the small thiefling ever hungrier. He pockets the crown, reluctantly. There's no way he'd be able to spend it without drawing suspicion. He hides away as a waitress walks in his direction, not wanting to be seen. It would be awkward if he had to order some food and then run away without paying, almost as much as if he paid for it with his ill-gotten coin.
A smile, a rumble, and Katrina makes her way into the area, her ears continuing to twitch to every sound of the marketplace, while her tail swishes behind her. A door opened, two stride made, and the door closes again, with nary a being looking up as the well-dressed, masked panthress moves through the area with silent steps...
And then, a hand on Terry's shoulder, and a soft rumble. "I saw your little stunt there, kid."
Terry jolts as the hand comes to rest on his shoulder. He looks up at the pantheress with wide eyes, and launches into a stammer. "I'm s-sorry I d-don't know w-what you mean." He gulps. Could he have sounded more guilty? "I mean, uh..." His tail flits nervously as he keeps his gaze on the patheress' eyes. "P-please don't turn me in." He tries his best to look cute and harmless. "I was only hungry, I only wanted some food..."
"I could be persuaded. Assuming you want to talk it over during dinner," the she-cat rumbles with a sly smirk, her tail curling lightly behind her, while an arm is used to gesture at a secluded table to the side. "Your treat, of course," she adds with a glance back to Terry...
Terry shrinks down under the pantheress' gaze, but sees no choice in the matter as he nods quickly. "Y-yes 'maam." He blurts out, sliding out of his booth and rushing towards the table she pointed out. He slides in but keeps his gaze down and fidgeting nervously.
A smile, and a soft rumble as Katrina calmly and casually follows after Terry, before gesturing a waitress. "A Shralestan Merlot 453, if you have it, along with the roast duck," she rumbles, off the top of her head, tail flicking as she watches Terry... These are not inexpensive things, after all.
Terry looks up at the pantheress with a look of alarm, then glances between her and the waitress. "I.. I uh.. uhm.." He gulps. "I'll have the.." He fidgets again, mentally trying to add up how much those two expensive sounding things must cost. "I'll have soup. A little bit. And some water. Please." He offers the waitress an all-too-nervous smile hefore looking back at his hands, where he's still clutching that gold crown.
"Relax, kiddo. It won't break the bank," Katrina rumbles with a playful smile, a flick of her ears. "Now, sit up straight, and tell me... Is this the life you'd like to lead? Scrambling after collecting some petty cash from a merchant?" the she-cat rumbles with a sly smirk, hidden behind her mask...
Terry blinks. Petty cash? This will feed him for a month, if he manages to keep hold of it. "I.. I get by, miss." He gulps, knowing that this didn't really answer her question. He sits up a bit straighter like he was told. "I just do what I need to do, is all. It's what works for me." He nods at his own words.
A small chuckle, a short shake of the head. "And how often've you been chased, these past few weeks?" the feline continues her questions, watching Terry and keeping an eye on the waitress. No need for anyone else to notice the contents of their conversation, after all.
Terry peers around cautiously as well. He gives the answer a light shrug, his right hand moving to rub his left shoulder shyly. "A few times.. sometimes twice a day.. but I usually get away." He clutches the gold crown with his left hand. "With this I won't have to steal for a bit, if I spend it carefully.." He gives the pantheress a glance, but quickly looks back down timidly.
"Stealing? Petty theft, you mean," the she-cat scoffs for a bit... "A true thief knows how to steal from their mark in broad daylight... Without them even realizing they're being stolen from until it's too late," she rumbles, her tone of voice suggesting that for Terry, it is already 'too late' right now...
Terry looks up at the pantheress, blinking as he takes in her words. "A-are you.. are you.. going to take it from me?" He glances between her and his clutched hand, then shakes his head. "I n-need it. It's mine." He peers up at her, trying to assert himself before the pantheress.
"Of course not. It's yours, as you said. And you did say you intended to spend it on food... Though I might pop in for a dinner or two, every now and then," the she-cat rumbles with a lick of her lips, before shaking her head, before watching Terry with an interested eye.
Terry deflates, tucking his arm back in. He briefly brushes his hair back with his right hand before it returns to rubbing his shoulder. "O-okay.." He says, defeated. This silly gold crown just wasn't worth the trouble anymore...
Katrina smiles and flicks her ears. "Good. Now then... Your name? Unless you prefer being called 'kid'?" the she-cat rumbles with a smile, a gentle sway of her tail, watching the waitress arrive with the drinks, before moving off again. "As for your... Skills. I wouldn't say you don't have potential... But if you go at it like this, you won't make it. Especially not considering the city is -our- turf," she rumbles, with no apparent intention of letting him know who she's referring to.
Terry clutches his own drink, taking a nervous sip from it before answering. "Terry, miss." He brushes his hair back again, switching his grip on the glass. He peers up at the othe rbeing. "Y-your turf? I.. I don't understand... " He eyes the pantheress up and down, trying to assess that kind of being she is, really.
