We Were Born To Make History

[gottakeeponejumpahead]

WHO: Adasse Agassi, Teren The Scary Mom Warden, and You.
WHAT: Entering Stage Darktown, A Thief
WHEN: Last week of Kingsway
WHERE: The Gallows
NOTES: The fight between Teren and Adasse has already been scripted, but feel free to have your character have 'been there'. There will be an open under that.

Teren and the No Good Very Bad Assassin - (The Letter Thief) - Closed

Getting on the wrong side of one of Kirkwall's many gangs was not something that Adasse had a habit of getting into - but he'd been distracted with the disappearance of Haelan and the worry that his best friend had finally hit the wrong side of a fellow but way older pocket by the name of Prickles. To that end, his head wasn't in the game when he took the job for the Dockside Harlots (seriously, what was up with these names? They just kept getting worse every year) - and so he dropped the parcel when on the run from the Kirkwall guard.

The Harlots were not exactly the forgiving types, and Adasse had to promise to take on a high-risk job. The Harlots wanted in on some Inquisition shipments that were going across the water to the Gallows, and so they needed to know the schedule for the next big shipment. Adasse was tasked to grabbing correspondence from an important Inquisition 'nob', because no-one really knew how the Inquisition managed to talk to one another over such long distances unless they had the fastest crows in the business.

So there he was, having snuck over with the rest of a smaller crew bringing over supplies, picking up a bale of something as he scanned the Gallows courtyard. He spotted an older woman, stern face and grey in her hair, holding onto a tight bundle with some sort of important seal on it, and he shifted his direction to run directly into her, and snag a few of the letters, muttering apologies all the way, "So sorry, serrah, so sorry, please pardon me..."

Typical down-trodden city elf, pay him no mind while he slips away with the letters in his shirt.

Or, at least, that was how it was supposed to go.

The Letter Thief - Scouting For Trouble (get it?) - Open

Well, here he was.

Adasse dropped his sack down on the stone of the Gallows, looking around the area with his mouth pressing in a fine line. Here he was. Inquisition promised, scout for ... whatever this thing was. Political movement? Army? Religious Cult? Did they even know?

He sighed, and that caused a chittering inside of his shirt, where an oddly shaped lump rested. He grinned, peering inside of his shirt itself to the chocolate nug nestled inside. "Yeah, yeah, I know. Could be worse. We could be having the Harlots remove all our favorite bits. Still ..."

Another sigh. "Wish we knew what we were getting into. C'mon, let's go find a corner to crash in, some trouble to find." Picking up his sack again, he started moving across the Gallows. Old habits die hard though, and he was already practicing bumping into people with a cheeky smile and a "So Sorry."

Nothing was grabbed. Yet. But it wouldn't do to lose the edge, now would it?

Comments

[samahl]

Cyril blinked in surprise when he was bumped into and turned to see a young, and extremely adorable, elf. He offered the newcomer a smile as his eyes scanned over the boy's form.

"No trouble," he replied. He didn't even pat his pockets and make sure nothing was taken, at least not while the other elf could see him. "Are you just settling in?" He had noticed the sack in Adasse's hands after all.

[gottakeeponejumpahead]

He half turned towards the brief statement, to be facing ... one of the most gorgeous elves he had ever seen in his entire life. One corner of his mouth lifted, and he shifted his weight and his bag in the other direction.

"In fact I am just, ah, settling on walking into the place. But - you know - Gallows. Overwhelming large and foreboding. I haven't found a place safe enough for me and Coco."

[samahl]

That reaction to his face is encouraging, and something shifts a bit in Cyril's stance as he relaxes and steps a little closer. Not enough to invade Adasse's personal space, but enough to show a focus on him.

"Coco? Is that a pet?"

[gottakeeponejumpahead]

"Why yes it is -- the very best pet in the entire world." And that lump in his stomach? That one you might have thought was an ale gut? Shifted up, and a nug head popped his head out of the opening at Adasse's neckline, snuffling with curiosity. After all, he had heard his name called.

"Come on out, Coco. We have a handsome friend to be introduced to." Adasse murmured, stroking the nug's ears, to let him know it was safe. Coco chittered softly, and climbed up Adasse's chest to sit on his shoulder, leaning down to sniff curiously at Cyril.

[samahl]

Cyril looked delighted as the nug poked her head out. He lifted a hand as if to touch her, but stopped himself before reaching forward.

"May I?" he asked. That would be invading Adasse's space and just because he had said the word 'handsome' didn't mean he would be comfortable with that.

for meeee

[doneisdone]

The elf doesn't get far. He's hardly taken a few steps when, lightning quick, a claw-like hand grasps his upper arm, drawing him back toward the mark. There, a knifepoint waits, pressed dangerously against his back from beneath the otherwise innocuous package.
"Where are you off to in such a hurry," hisses the dark voice behind Agasse, as Teren steers him toward an alley.

Re: for meeee

[gottakeeponejumpahead]

What. In The Name. Of The Maker's. Blessed. Balls. Just. Happened?

One moment, he was on his way to making a clean getaway with the goods, clearing his debt with the Harlots, and a second later he's got his wrist in a vice grip and a dagger right at his back.

"Oh, you know how it is, errands to run, beatings to avoid .... " He managed to get out, feeling his shoulders tense as he was steered towards an alley. His dark eyes narrowed thoughtfully, and suddenly, he pitched his body forward, as if he had tripped on something. As he fell, he twisted, so he could get his wrist free and give himself some distance from the dagger itself.

One palm went flat, as he went to snap it down on her wrist to relieve her of said dagger before it went into his stomach.

Re: for meeee

[doneisdone]

His wrist is freed for a moment, but Teren is no stranger to interactions like this one, and just as quickly the other one is caught. She holds fast to her dagger, using the momentum of twisting the thief's arm behind him to push him into the alley and up against the wall, where she presses her weight against his back and hold the tip of the knife to his throat. The package has dropped, but she steps hard on it with one foot, ensuring that no accomplices can similarly catch wise.
"Try again," she growls, "see where it gets you." This is clearly a person who knows the ins and outs of subterfuge, thieving, street brawling, and to boot has no shortage of wrath for those who might do it against her.

"The letters," she says into his ear, "who wants them." Whether or not he knows he just stole some Warden correspondence, Adasse has clearly chosen the wrong mark.

Re: for meeee

[gottakeeponejumpahead]

Ow.

All. Right so apparently this wasn't a doddering old lady but some sort of superior rogue warrior they kept hidden in the Inquisition to take the piss out of young thieves.

Think fast Agassi. He was looking at death from two angles. Either this lady would kill him for keeping quiet or the Harlots would kill him for running his fool mouth. So best run it in a different direction.

He let his body relax, and even though his voice had an edge of pain, it was calm. "Take it easy, serah. I was just practicing." He thinks of the Inquisition scouts, the ones wandering in and out of Darktown, paying the loose of lip for information, and some of them had pointed ears... "New recruit, just testing my skills against a target. Clearly, I need more practice with the head scout and less time going off on my own."

[doneisdone]

....really?

"If that were true, you ought to be sacked outright," Teren replies, giving his arm a twist, increasing the pressure. "The letters," she says again, the tip of her blade pressing uncomfortably on his throat, possibly enough to break the skin. "What do you want with them. Lie to me again and you'll start losing fingers." She has them right here, after all.

[circleprodigy]

A mabari's bark is heard before long, and a few more as Garahel rushes over to greet Adasse and his adorable nug. Inessa, several paces behind him, nonetheless approaches with a smile as her mabari runs around in a circle around Adasse. "Well, hello again to you both. As Garahel insists on reminding, you're among friends here."

She'll reach out to the lump that is the nug, to see what he makes of a piece of mabari crunch treat from her bag.

[gottakeeponejumpahead]

"Garahel! And Inessa, two of my new favorite people." He knelt down in front of Garahel to give him some quick pets, while Coco crawled out of his shirt and up onto his shoulder, scrabbling up to sniff at Garahel's face, and then lift his snout up to taste the treat that Inessa offered.

"Fancy meeting you here in the heart of the Great Inquisition with all it's ... Inquistorialness."

[circleprodigy]

Aw, Coco. Inessa smiles and strokes him gently, while Garahel nuzzles Adasse, tail wagging happily. That last word brings a glint of amusement to Inessa's eyes, as she lets Coco feast.

"It's quite daunting at first, I know. At least you were not here when we were first granted the area; I'm rather grateful that the slave statues and red lyrium are no more. If you need help getting your bearings, Garahel and I can assist."

[gottakeeponejumpahead]

Adasse,, for his part, was letting his face get licked as he stroked both of Garahel's ears at the same time, brown eyes bright. He made a face at the mention of the statues.

"...Yeah, thanks for melting those. A lot of that funding went to the alienage, really helped out a lot. Besides, they were pretty damned ugly to boot. I rather like this ... stark military look you've got going on. Just needs some throw rugs."

[circleprodigy]

"It's getting less stark, bit by bit. Personnel arrived several months ago; its taken time for furnishings at the like to catch up, but you'll continue to see a difference. In the mean time, we've enough space for everyone. I can't guarantee a room of your own, but the rooms themselves are quite large and comfortable." Inessa's quietly glad she was able to snag a more intimate shared space early on; she's passed her Harrowing, there's no desire on her part to return to apprentice-style quarters ever again.

[serannas]

From her perch on a rooftop, Ellana watches the elf move among the people below, and all her training so far would be for naught if she didn't notice a pickpocket when she saw one. There is plenty of space to move around, but this one is brushing up against everyone he passes. She considers things for a moment, moves her journal into the interior pocket of her vest instead of tucked into her belt, then jumps off the roof into the soft haystack below like Araceli taught her. Emerging, she picks some hay out of her hair and approaches him, grabbing his hand like an old friend.

"There you are! I said two o'clock, not three! Now come over here. We have so much to catch up on." And she immediately tugs on his arm to get him to follow her out of the path of foot traffic. Either he's the type of sneak that will be intrigued, or he'll pull away and call her crazy.

[gottakeeponejumpahead]

First response, a big pleased smile as he shakes her hand firmly, dark eyes bright. "Sorry, took me forever to get a ship across and you know how they don't like taking elves across without seeing the money first." He grabs her wrist in turn, making it a nice clutch between the two of them, and also making sure she does not have a blade up this particular sleeve.

He follows her right out of the path of traffic, and his voice quiets to a near whisper. "Did Beleth send you, or that crazy one Teren? Because lady, I have a blade on my other hand and a vicious nug down my shirt that'll bite that pretty face off if this is some kind of honey-trap-con, or a shake-down."

Seriously, the Inquisition made him more paranoid than normal, people grabbing him this way and that.

[serannas]

Oh yeah, definitely handsy, definitely checking her. She is planning on getting herself a dagger to take out on missions, but hasn't gotten around to it yet, so he'll find her sleeve empty.

Once they're out of the crowd, his whispered threat has her quirking her lips in a smile. Yes, a smile. Maybe two years ago she'd take the warning more seriously, but when you can shapeshift into an animal who can tear off faces, threats of a knife or a weaponized nug lose their bite.

"Trust me, if Beleth sent me to do anything, I'd say okay and then forget all about it." She and Yngvi are the problem children of the scouting division. They may smile and nod, but they don't take orders from Beleth, or at least not to the letter. If Beleth told her to tail someone in the Inquisition, Ellana would just say 'Couldn't find them.'

"No, I want to know if you'll teach me how to do that." She nods her head back towards the people passing. "The whole 'nudge and check their pockets' thing. I've been learning stealth skills for awhile now, but I've never gotten around to that."

[gottakeeponejumpahead]

Adasse leaned back, both eyebrows raised, before the dark look on his face melted into a laugh. He shook his head a little, rubbing one hand through his hair.

"You Inquisition lot - I get pinched for nabbing a letter and threatened within an inch of my life. I go to practice nabbing actual purses and I get asked to give lessons." He eyed her fancy face painting. "And by a Dalish no less, well well. All right there, first lesson is free."

He brought his other hand from around his back, where he was now holding her journal. "Always get in close as possible, even when they're grabbing you. You can make out like a bandit when they think they got you over a barrel."

Putting the journal back in her hand, he waggled his eyebrows. "Any further lessons will cost you a drink a piece at whatever tavern they got over here."

[serannas]

Her face falls a little at seeing her journal in his hand, but she nods and accepts it, putting it into her pocket once more.

"See, I need to know how you slipped your fingers in. Does gripping hard with the other hand help lessen how much of the pickpocket hand the target will feel?" If that's part of the paid lesson, she can tell him about the local taverns too, but Ellana is always full of questions.

does an entirely different prompt like a rebel

[arlathvhen]

Well. This was new. Beleth had been doing some exciting rounds of paperwork, when she was interrupted to have a thief dropped in her office, and left to her mercies. Luckily, Beleth is just full of forgiveness and mercy.

"You stole from the Wardens?" She peers at him incredulously over the sheet of paper she'd been staring at, staying at her desk for the moment. "Normally, I'd just hand you over to the city guard and be done with it. However...you said that you wanted to help us?"

There are multiple methods to interrogating people, depending on the person's position relative to you. For someone who wields remarkably less power than her, like this street rat before her, you uplift them. Treat them like an equal. So she puts down the paper and stands, moving around her desk, so there isn't any tokens of her authority between them.

"I have no love for the city guard, and I can assure you we are much more reasonable in our methods of handling useful resources." She smiles politely, spreading her hands out. "I just need to be assured that you can be a useful resource."

Let's Get Daaaaangerous no not really.

[gottakeeponejumpahead]

"Yeah I can't believe how stupid I was either." Adasse sighed, peering over at the Head of the Scouts. Who was, surprisingly enough, a Dalish. Well that explained all the elven scouts he had been seeing about at least.

The city guard? Well that would be better than the Harlots, at least. They'd only take off some of his fingers. Less torture and ... slightly less grim future. He'd take it.

However ... he looked up from where he was staring at the desk in pensive thought, and up at her. Dark eyes incredulous, and faintly suspicious, before he snorted wryly. "I - yeah. I am ... a very useful resource." All right. Here we go. Negotiation is a fine art when you've got skin in the game. He set his shoulders. "I just need a few things promised first. It's not ... I'm not looking for money, or freedom. I just have people, and creatures, depending on me and I want to make sure they're taken care of before I'm thrown in a cell - and before I open my mouth. First, I was teaching some of the alienage kids how to read. I ... won't ask the Inquisition to take over, but I've got some coin put aside. I'll tell you where the coin is, and you'll hire a tutor for them, to finish where I started."

He wiggles a little, with his hands still bound behind him, so he can at least meet the Dalish woman's gaze head on, "Second ... I made the mistake of working for some dangerous people -- and they aren't merciful. Not to me, and not to my pet nug. Whatever happens to me happens to me - I'm the dunce here - but my nug's a sweet creature and he's ... well. After my best friend's done died on me, Coco is the only thing I care about. I don't want the dangerous people to get their hands on him, so I want the Inquisition to pluck him up and give him to a good family, where he'll be petted and loved and taken care of."

He looks at her, and since she's Dalish ... "Your word on it, will be good enough."

[arlathvhen]

How many times has Leliana warned her of the dangers of being over-compassionate? She's got a job where it rarely pays to have a tender heart, but. She's not heartless. And an scruffy elf sitting there and telling her how he helps out kids in the alienage and--Maybe Leliana would forgive her if she brought up the nug.

"Well, you'll be getting money and freedom, whether you like it or not." She approaches the man, and with a flick of her hand, pulls a dagger out of...somewhere. Then she rounds around him, grabs his arm, and Adasse will feel a few tugs on his wrists, before the pressure of his binds disappear. Having freed him from the binds, Beleth moves away from him and goes to lean against her desk, sighing.

"I'm not going to throw you in the dungeon, not this time. Just...avoid stealing from the Inquisition or our allies in the future. And if you're going to be working for us, you'll be paid. This isn't some kind of indentured servitude. So keep your coins, and your lessons."

She closes her eyes for a few moments of thought, then opens them again. "As long as you're working for us, you'll be staying in the Gallows, where I can keep an eye on you and make sure that you behave. Pets are allowed, so I encourage you to take him here. I assure you that whoever you used to work for, they aren't as dangerous as I am. They'll be hard pressed to sneak in here just to kill a nug."

She can always tell Leliana this was the easiest path, anyway. Like she wanted to spend her time trying to find tutors for elves and homes for nugs.

"I give you my word on all of this. Does it satisfy your worries?"

[gottakeeponejumpahead]

Adasse's eyes widened, but otherwise he managed to keep his expression under tight control. How else could he possibly look at her and not gape like a damned fish? Money, freedom, a safe place to hide out from the Harlots. Safer still for a small nug like Coco. He looks at her for a long moment, rubbing his wrists as he takes it all in.

After a moment, he states simply, "... Probably have your hands full, making a bloke like me behave, but yeah. Yeah this solves a lot of my woes."

He sucks in a thoughtful break, before he looks up at her. "All right, fair's fair. You got a piece of paper and a quill?"

[arlathvhen]

"I do, hold for just a moment." There's a moment of fishing around for a blank piece of paper, but once Beleth finds it, she starts writing on it. Once she finishes, she steps away, and turning to Adasse, gestures to the paper. On it, he'll find everything that Beleth had promised him, including becoming an official part of the Inquisition--with a few provisions.

"No more stealing from the Inquisition or its allies," Beleth starts, briefly outlining the provisions written in the document. "Or other illegal acts, obviously. Of course, an exception will be made if it's cleared by me. No more working for whoever you were before this, or any other organization, for that matter, without running it by me. Basically--" She spreads her hands out, a small smile on her face.

"--You're a part of the Inquisition, now. You'll be expected to act like it."