(121-04-14) - The Black Peacock Strikes!
The Black Peacock Strikes!
Summary: A leisurely stroll through Oldtown Square leads to groping and thievery.
Date: 14 March 2014
Related: none.
Players:
Toran..Garvin..Arion..

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Oldtown Square


It is a summer night. The weather is hot and clear.

This is a small cobblestone market square, packed with people from all walks of life in Oldtown. Food vendors offer sizzling, toothsome-smelling dishes, and peddlers offering every sort of thing one can possibly buy with coin line the cobbled walkways, with carpets, weapons, wines, scrolls, armor, cloth, tools, cookware, and myriads of cheap trinkets sure to please.

There is a general babble of voices and chatter as the city folk try to negotiate with the sharp street vendors of Oldtown, and the occasional scuffle as the City Watch snatch up pickpockets and cutpurses from the crowd.

There are some worn stone benches here and there, and grassy swards for the smallfolk to gather upon. In the center of the square stand a set of four heavy wooden pillories, where wrongdoers are frequently held fast for public punishment.


It’s a busy day in the market square as Toran strides out of the bathhouse with a grin upon his face and slightly damp black hair. He strides aong weaving a pathway through the square and several people shoot him curious glances as he makes his way from stall to stall admiring the goods on sale. He stands out a bit being quite close to seven feet and dressed in dark clothes with equally dark hair. But he moves with an uncanny grace despite his large size his steps are near silent as he looks through the crowd as if searching for something.

Garvin and Arion are surrounded by a small group of men-at-arms, most in purple cloaks, and they are making their way into the square from Beacon Boulevard, Garvin chattering away. "No, I insist. That wooden armor looks far too shabby, even with a fresh coat of paint. You simply can't wear it. First thing tomorrow, we'll have you fitted for a proper set of genuine armor. Gold plated, of course. And after the show's run, you can keep it as your own armor. Wouldn't you like that?"

Arion chuckles at Garvin's insistance about the armor as he walks beside the Tyrell. "You are so thoughtful towards me Garvin….very well we can have a new set of armor made if you wish. Though I wonder if the gold will make people mistake me for a Lannister." He grins at the other lord paying more attention to him than anything else around them. In fact he seems oblvious to anything and anyone who is not Garvin Tyrell at the moment.

<FS3> Opposed Roll — Arion=Alertness Vs Toran=Pickpocket
< Arion: Failure Toran: Great Success
< Net Result: Toran wins - Crushing Victory

Silently Toran winds his way closer to the two nobles and thier guards. He around to one side pretending to look over a merchants wares before he slips up behind Arion and carefully lifts his purse away and hooking it with the others on his belt. He smirks at how easy that was and blends into the nearby crowd waiting for his chance to strike again. He frowns as he studies the other noble in the group trying to figure out where his purse is.

Garvin continues chattering, completely obvlivious to his surroundings. After all, he's well guarded, right? Unfortunately, his Purple Cloaks are looking for potential assassins, not cutpurses. "Ah, there's the bath house over there. I've been there once or twice, and it isn't bad. Water's clean and warm, and the selection of oils is good, but watch out for the owner, Peri. She's…difficult sometimes." His belt has no purses, nothing hanging from it. Maybe he hides his coins in some hidden pocket of his puffy sleeves? He risks a glance toward Arion, grinning a bit. "You don't mind stripping in front of a bunch of strangers, do you?"

Arion blushes a bit and smiles almost shyly at the question of stripping in front of strangers. "I…suppose not. I think I will manage provided they have rose scented oil." He bites his lower lip as theyw alk toward the bath house. He doesn't notice that he has been robbed at all as his focus is on his companion at the moment.

<FS3> Opposed Roll — Garvin=Alertness Vs Toran=Pickpocket-3
< Garvin: Success Toran: Good Success
< Net Result: Toran wins - Marginal Victory

If the money isn't at Garvin's belt then where is it? Toran's eyes finally land on the lords codpeice. It does look like there is something extra in there and its not like the thief has any issues with taking it anyway. In fact he seems to find the very thought amusing. He grins wickedly and moves carefully watching as a group of people pass by Garvin and Arion. He slips unseen into the group and once he is close enough gently slides his hand down the front of that cod piece. He comes away with a purse apparently with Garvin non the wiser and tries to slip unoticed into a nearby side street.

Garvin is so intent upon babbling with his companion, he doesn't take notice of the hand sliding down the front of his codpiece, though a quick shiver runs up his spine. He stops in his tracks, looking at Arion. "Maybe the baths aren't a good idea after all," he says, eyes darting downward briefly. "I suddenly feel…you know." He gives a sheepish grin, cheeks coloring just a bit. One of his men, however, seems to know exactly why Garvin has that 'funny feeling', and he barks, "Stop, thief!" while pointing toward Toran. "Pelly, Cival, stop that man." Two of the Purple Cloaks break away from the group and start marching through the crowd in the direction of the side street.

Arion doesn't notice anything amiss either and he smirks at Garvin's admission moving a bit closer to the Tyrell. He is about to whisper something and then the shout from the purple cloaks has his attention. His hand drifts to where his coinpurse should be and his eyes widen in surprise and anger. "I've been robbed!" He glances after Toran spotting his bag of green velvet hanging from the thiefs belt. "He took my coinpurse! Get him!" Arion steps forward watching as the guards advance on the thief.

<FS3> Toran rolls Acrobatics: Great Success.

Toran has already broke into a run though dashing through the streets at top speed. He is fast but unfortunatly for him he doesn't know these streets. He runs into a dead end and sighs dramaticly before he spots some boxes stacked along the edges of the alley. If he could jump on them ad climb to the top he could get onto the roof and so he leaps gracefully onto the first crate. He glances over his shoulder after the guards as he continues to climb higher and higher trying to reach the rooftops.

Garvin's eyes widen at the shout, and when Arion discovers his purse missing, Garvin stuffs a hand down the front of his own codpiece, drawing a few odd looks from passersby. "I've been robbed too!" he shouts, hand whipping out empty. "That's why…Stop him!" Tor and four of the men stay with the two lords, while Pelly and Cival chase after the thief. They lose him in the twisting side streets however, and quickly split up to follow separate paths. Neither chooses the right path, or rather, the one that does fails to look upward. And so Toran makes a clean getaway. Back in the square, Garvin looks more surprised than grumpy at being robbed. "Can you believe that man reached right down inside my…?"

Arion blinks in surprise blushing all the way up to his ears as he realizes what the thief had to have done to get Garvin's purse. "I can't believe he dared to do that! In public of all things! Thats…wait a minute." Arion's eyes go wide as he realizes something. "We have no money! We are in the market and I cannot buy anything…" And then he sticks his bottom lip out in an epic pout.

Garvin's eyes bug even wider as Arion's realization strikes him. "We're penniless! I had four dragons and a bunch of stags in that purse. Now how will we get into the good baths? I'm not going into the penny bath, not after what Tellur said about there. Absolutely not!"

And so Toran escapes racing over the rooftops across the square laughing merrily and in good humor as he leaps onto a low roof and then swings down from a windowsill and onto the ground once more on the opposite end of the square from where he was. He gets several odd looks but he just grins and waves to those staring at him as he goes on his way while humming a merry tune.

<FS3> Arion rolls Alertness: Failure.
<FS3> Garvin rolls Alertness: Success.

Arion is too preoccupied with the thought of being broke to notice the thief racing along above them. "What will we do Garvin! I see…seven things I wanted to buy…at least. No make that nine." He pouts some more his lip trembling as he looks to the Tyrell with wide eyes realizing something else now. "What will I tell my cousins?! I'm in so much trouble…"

Garvin seems more upset that he and Arion won't be able to bathe together than at the loss of the coins themselves, and he looks around the square for the two guards who had gone after the thief. He spies Pelly emerging from an alley, short of breath, then catches sight of Toran himself. "There he is!" he shouts, pointing at the man. "Tor! Pelly! He's there!" Cival also appears from a different alley, and hearing his lord's cries, immediately starts in the direction indicated. Garvin begins rushing across the square as well, eyes narrowed in determination.

Toran doesn't seem to notice that he has been spotted again though. He winds his way through the crowds of the market and onto a more empty street still humming softly he tosses Garvin's coin purse in his hand and hooks it onto his belt next to Arion's. The sound of foor steps has him turning his head to see Garvin and his guards hot on his heels once more. He smirks and dashes into a nearby alleyway running along this narrow street quickly only to realzie he has found another dead end and…there is nothing to climb here either. He seems to consider his options a breif moment. He can't hide but the stones along the walls are rough and perfect for climbing up and so he turns and starts to climb them.

Arion blinks as Garvin runs off hurrying to follow behind him. "Garvin! Wait what are you…oh! There he is!" He runs with renewed speed now trying to catch the thief. He pauses on the empty street looking around curiously and breathing heavily. "Where did he go?" He glances into the nearby ally and blinks again pointing to Toran. "Over there!"

Garvin growls low in his throat, nodding to Arion and turning his footsteps toward the alley. "Ah ha!" he shouts, pointing at the man scaling the wall. "Tor, shoot him with your crossbow!" Tor the Purple Cloak draws his sword, not having a crossbow on him, and wades into the alley. "You'd best come down here, if you don't want to die." Garvin huffs and crosses his arms over his chest. Suddenly his eyes light. "Pillory him!" he says gleefully.

Toran scrambles up the wall at a rapid pace quick and surefooted. He puases half way up and looks over his shoulder at the Lords and the guards with a wicked grin. Then he quickly scales the rest of the wall and climbs onto the roof looking down at the group with a smirk. "Not today my Lords. So sorry to disapoint you but you will have to catch me before I let you tie me up! Still it would be rude of me not to give you something for your troubles." Reaching into one of his pouches he produces a long black feather and releases it lettng it float downward into the alley. It lands in front of Garvin's feet, a peacock feather died black. Toran winks and offers a dramatic mockery of a bow before turning to dash off once more.

Arion glares at the man as he scales the wall to get away from them. The Florent is almost completely out of breath huffing and puffing as he follows Garvin into the alley. "He is too fast…and too tricky." He pouts some more and then blushes at the thief's parting words before eyeing the feather curiously. "Is that a black peacock feather?" He shakes his head slowly. "Some people have no taste." He takes a few deep breaths trying to calm his racing heart.

Garvin's scowl deepens, eyes narrowed as they follow the feather, which floats down to land in front of him. He bends down to sweep it up, nodding to Arion. "Peacock, definitely. But I've never heard of a black peacock. Why would anyone dye such a beautiful feather?" He looks up to the rooftop again, frowning. "One thing's for sure — I need a better hiding place for my coin purse. I never thought anyone would dig around in there." He suddenly blushes, giving Arion a sheepish look. "Well, not for coins anyway…."

Toran overhears this and a loud laugh is heard as the thief makes his escape. A call is heard across the rooftops. "Don't worry darling next time I'll take more than your money!" You can practically hear the laughter in that tone as Toran vanishes from sight with his ill gotten goods. The thief makes his way across the rooftops with grace not stopping until he has escaped for good this time.

"I've never heard of one either and I don't know…maybe its a symbol of something? I don't know." Arion eyes the feather and the call from the rooftops has him blushing and looking up with wide eyes. "Next time?!" He looks appauled at the thought of getting robbed again. He looks to Garvin. "That man has no shame! I think we might need to hire more guards…"

Garvin's blush deepens, though his eyes flash as he cranes his neck, trying to catch sight of the thief. "You don't think he'd try to break into our bedchambers and…you know, like the Pillowcase?" He shivers at the thought, tongue playing unconsciously over his lips. "I think you're right, we should both hire more guards, and post them all around, but especially outside our bedchamber doors." He pauses to think for a moment. "And windows. That's how the Pillowcase got into…someone's chamber, through the window." He glances at Arion. "Your manse isn't very well guarded. Perhaps until this cutpurse is caught, you and your cousins should stay at Garden Isle. For your protection, of course." Certainly not for any…unseemly reason.

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