Bump on the Road

[Grayson Sawyer]

After being sighted by a small blond boy, who looked at her with mild fear, Grayson pulled her hood down even further to cover her face as she walked through the market square. She was usually accompanied by a friend but today nobody seemed to have the time. If it wasn't for the urgency of the spell she had to concoct, Grayson wouldn't have tried to venture out on her own.

It didn't help that the apothecary that held the ingredients she needed was in the back alleys of the otherwise bright and busy market square. Hidden under her heavy robe was the dagger that had been infused with a protection spell a fellow mage had helped her with, which was what she was clutching to tightly as she stepped into the alley. 

Grayson tried to ignore the anxiety creeping up on her. She reasoned to herself that she had gone this far alone already, what were a few more steps? The young woman breathed in deeply before moving quickly, avoiding hitting anybody along the way. But in her haste and with her hood partially obscuring her view, that did not last long.

[Lucy Serrano]

During the day, it was all about slight of hand. A cut-purse to catch hanging coin from unsuspecting waists.

Back alleys had always been dangerous. They were better hidden; half the entities wandering through hid beneath hoods and had somewhere delicate to be. She was no exception to the former, because the light of day made for better memories, and so she wandered with low fabric clouding the natural break of her eyes. She didn't need to look forward anyway.

Her eyes were on shoes. Those with decent enough money wore a sturdy set. Those who rarely ventured down this way wore a clean set. And everyone was trying to stay out of everyone's way, until they were accidentally run into.

She didn't actually speak as much as she groaned with the shoulder collision from the timid mage. Either way, it only took a moment to delve a hand into the flow of material to release and take whatever money she'd brought with her.

But it was heavy. Lucy pursed her lips as she stepped off again; she was bound to notice it missing.

[Grayson Sawyer]

Grayson was meticulous when it came to herself. Very precise, knowing what was where at all times. But even then when the money was stolen from her, she didn't notice until her hand moved over where it was supposed to be.

Hurriedly, she turned to look to the ground and her eye caught the only person walking away from her.

"Excuse me." She started, her foot already moving towards the person. "You have my purse I think."

[Lucy Serrano]

There was nothing infrequent about her steps. They weren't faster, because that conveyed guilt. She wasn't rifling through what she'd just taken, because that too, was a strain of guilt. If her hands were moving, they would be seen. It was better to be natural. To breathe like nothing had happened. Like it was hers in her hands, and not the fortune of another.

And then she was called to. Worse, the voice followed her.

Lucy kept walking. Conviction could only find her if she responded. If she spoke a word, she would be even more guilty. She just kept on walking so casually, like she had somewhere to be, too.

[Grayson Sawyer]

When the person just continued walking, Grayson picked up her pace. She was so sure the person had her money. She wasn't trying to be accusatory but she did need her money and nobody else was around that looked like they could be the one who took it.

The anxiety of being out was now coupled with the fear of being made aware of.

"E-excuse me. Please." Her voice wavered but escalated in volume. "I...I need my money back." She was finally close enough to place a hand on the person's arm. "Excuse me, I think you took my purse."

[Lucy Serrano]

It didn't stop. The voice behind her indicated if nothing else that she was picking up her pace. Most thieves chose to run before they could get caught; few people could have caught her if she chose to. But an arm caught her before she could make any kind of move.

She exhaled a slow breath as she stopped. Turning on a heel, she glanced back finally.

She almost couldn't see the girl beneath the hood. It was like she had everything to hide, too. "Sorry?" She asked genuinely, eyebrows raised and hands free as she reached up with both of them to peel the hood back from her own head.

[Grayson Sawyer]

When the woman pulled her hood down, Grayson's first stray thought was that the woman was quite attractive. It was an odd thought, given that she was probably about to accuse this woman of stealing from her.

"I must have bumped into you. And dropped my purse. And you might have taken it?" Grayson said, bowing her head slightly so her hood wouldn't move backwards to reveal her face.

"You must have seen it...at least?"

[Lucy Serrano]

To be open and honest was impossible by this point, but as Lucy listened she had to wonder if this girl was giving her a chance to hand it all back unscathed. Dark eyes glanced past her to the ground behind, where there was no way she dropped it in the last few seconds, because it was completely bare. It was nice, if that was the intent, but she still wasn't sure.

If she could have seen her face, she might have known either way. But there was a hidden nature to her that resembled one of her own. She twisted her mouth to a disapproving frown; robbing another thief was grounds for getting the boot.

"Tell you what; I might help you out if you tell me why you're hiding." She offered with a shrug, "You don't exactly look like you... Belong."

[Grayson Sawyer]

The question seemed innocent enough. But Grayson didn't know whether this woman was a just a common thief or a king's guard. Around here, looks really could be deceiving.

"I...I'm not hiding." Grayson responded, though her cast down hood obviously said otherwise. "I'm just trying to get some ingredients from the shop down there. So...I need the money."

[Lucy Serrano]

That was a tentative answer. Most people who were hiding weren't going to flatly deny it, unless they were a terrible liar by trade. Obviously it wasn't one of her skills. The word ingredients had her interest clearly pointed. She raised her eyebrows to the fact, the corner of her mouth dragging in tandem.

"Well, I haven't got it. But I could maybe lend you a little something." She reasoned. But everything had a price, right? And hers was pretty fair.

"C'mon, show." Lucy tried then, and a second later she was reaching up with both hands to try and draw her hood back.

[Grayson Sawyer]

When the woman denied having her purse, Grayson sighed inwardly before stepping away when she stepped closer. Her hand closed around her blade, simply to feel safe; she had no intentions of using it on anyone if she could help it.

"Please, I don't want to cause trouble. My money is gone and I need it." Try as she might, Grayson couldn't sound as hard as she wanted to. Her words just came out a little like she was holding back tears. It was a part of her she disliked very much. She was a twenty-three year old woman and she still couldn't properly stand up for herself.

"There's really no reason for you to see me."

[Lucy Serrano]

No trouble. Just money. Such was the way of the world for most people trying to skirt by the difficulties and just find whatever comfort they could.

"Wanting to is reason enough around here, I think." Lucy replied, but she knew it wouldn't be taken in the nicer way it could have been. She didn't need to look at her face to know she was borderline terrified. If not of this interaction, than of any other one that might have come her way here.

Fingers curled around the hood she wore, but Lucy didn't draw it back as she leaned inward; "Besides, you gave yourself away already. People only come here for pretty specific ingredients."

[Grayson Sawyer]

Grayson tried to remain calm. She was just a woman. There was nothing about her that was threatening. Sure, she had tried to pull her hood down without her consent but Grayson still had her blade. The woman was safe unless she tried to take the blade from Grayson.

The idea that this woman already knew what she was and yet was not running away confused Grayson. What was she playing at exactly?

"Then will you please give my purse back and leave me be? Your desire to be here must be just as little as mine." She reasoned, hoping it would actually get through to the thief.

[Lucy Serrano]

When she was accused again, Lucy frowned at the fact. Even though she was incredibly right, there was no sense in playing to that guilt. She was all about denial. "Why don't you just run home and get some more money?" By the looks of her, she could definitely afford to. But Lucy wasn't done, and she started speaking again well before anything could be said against her.

"I bet you're beautiful under there." Lucy mused aloud, flipping the subject again. Really, it was like they were having two conversations; completely parallel and never totally destined to meet.

[Grayson Sawyer]

Not only did she not have more money to 'run home and get some more' of, the idea of going back to the Enclave and coming back here was not a pleasant thought. What if she ran into someone like this woman again? Hell, what if she ran into this woman again? She needed the ingredients but not bad enough that she would want to make this trip again.

Grayson was caught off guard when the woman made her assumption. She had never given it much thought and now that the woman mentioned it, Grayson wondered if it was true. But it also made her want to crawl into her robes even more.

"So...so you don't have my purse. Well...I best be off. Th-thank you." She was so cross with herself for not getting what she needed. She would have to ask someone else to follow her another time.

She tried to move around the woman.