Shifty Buisness [open]

[Tinair]

[googlefont="Candal"]

it's not betrayal if i was never loyal in the first place

The bustling marketplace was the perfect place for thieves to operate. They slipped through the crowd, using the many bodies to hid themselves. Thieves like Tinair, for example. She did not steal as much as others did, no, far less than those who depend on these skills for a living, but she was not above theft either. Anyway to reach her goal, whatever it was. Common theft was too boring for her. Besides getting what she wanted, she also wanted to cause as much havoc as possible. The little dratini slid through the crowd, searching for her target. Most ignored her, and those who did notice the snakelike figure slither through their feet did not think it was alarming. Dratinis were blessed with a innocent looking face, and Tinair liked to exploit that fact as much as she could. Her plan was simple. Sort of. If she could nab something, not too important but of value as well,  she would plant it on a passer by. Yell thief, and then she would disappear into the crowd, as if she was never there. Then, of course, in the ensuing chaos, she would take what she wanted with few to notice her. All she needed were her targets. She slid up to a row of stalls, widening her eyes as much as possible to make it look like she was some country bumpkin who had never seen such wares, though she must have passed them every single day. Her eyes darted to and fro, partly searching for a target, partly watching for threats to her. Once the coast was fully clear, she could act. The shopkeeper's attention was diverted, she wound her tail around an object-never mind what it was, and whipped it onto the floor, bringing down several other things as well. Barely before they crashed to the ground, Tinair was already on the move. If she was seen, she would be dead meat. A yell behind her told her that the shopkeeper had noticed her, and, with a muttered curse, she slid through the crowd as fast as she could, leaving passers-by to gawk at the shopkeeper, yelling at seemingly nothing. Her plan didn't work, not exactly, but havoc was created, and she was happy. She would return sometime later, to continue her work. Tin just had to make sure she was safe first. @n/a, 395 words, notes: maybe someone notices her?

[Aloise]

If there was one thing Aloise’s line of work had taught her, it’s that standing in the sidelines and observing the world around her was just as important, if not more important than putting herself out there and joining the hustle and bustle. There was a lot you could learn from watching other Pokemon, and she was more than happy to tuck away her findings in the back of her mind, ready to be put to use at a moment’s notice.

That’s how she came to rely on the marketplace as her unofficial base of operations. Information dealing–at least the parts where you had to deal with clients–wasn’t a 24/7 job, and she had to pass the time somehow. And the marketplace was ideal for the kind of “leisure” she enjoyed in her downtime: people watching. The fact that the marketplace was so busy that she could go about her business unnoticed was just an added bonus.

Today was just like any other day. Without a client to deal with, Aloise found herself with time on her hands and a crowded marketplace to slip into. Conversations were easy to eavesdrop on here, and sometimes she could hear some particularly juicy bit of gossip that she could sell later; all she had to do was wander around and look busy, and her paycheck would fall right into her lap.

Speaking of which… what was this?

A noisy clatter, and some indignant shouting. Aloise glanced in the direction of the ruckus. The stall owner was shouting over in her general direction, no doubt because some clumsy idiot had taken off after destroying some of their wares. Amused, the Cottonee scanned around for anyone that could have caused the commotion. It shouldn't be too hard, considering the fact that the shopkeeper seemed convinced that the culprit had fled her way.

And... ah-ha.

A Dratini, hastening away from the crime scene too fast for it to be a coincidence. The common layperson might have dismissed her as just another energetic kid, but Aloise knew better than to let appearances fool her. She'd provided her services to some downright adorable Pokemon, after all. Many of them had turned out to be scum.

She flicked her eyes up at the sky to check the position of the sun. I've got some time to kill. Making sure she didn't attract any undue attention, she slid into the Dratini's path and waited until she was within earshot.

"Bad luck in the field today, huh?"

Tinair

[Tinair]

[googlefont="Candal"]

it's not betrayal if i was never loyal in the first place

It was a sad fact of Tinair's life that she never seemed to notice enough. Being brilliant in other areas didn't stop her from forgetting to watch out. Watching to see if she would disturb any other wares while stealing her target, for example. Or if anyone saw her escape. Only when the Cottonee spoke did she notice the little pokemon. For a moment, her mind froze, even though her body was moving. oh, of all the sweet slithering snakes... She did not like this one bit. Not one bit. If the cottonee worked for the type of people she wanted to avoid, she was dead meat, especially if she noticed. Which she probably did. Well, maybe it wasn't as bad. She didn't actually steal anything, did she? And even if this little thing noticed her failed attempt, the shopkeeper may not have realised that it was a dratini that had sent their wares flying. Besides, she was an accomplished liar, after all. Jolting her head up quickly, now that her mind was made, and not a second too soon, either. The cottonee had finished speaking, and if she didn't reply, fast, she would have the sign of the liar stuck up on her head. "You askin' me, ma'am?" She questioned back as innocently as she could manage, still keeping up her country bumpkin guise. No use making the lie too complicated. Sticking to one core fact, not revealing too much. That was the way liars worked. Now the next step. "I don't know about any bad luck, miss, 'm jus' a country lass, miss." She had socialized with enough street brats to pick up their way of speech, even if it wasn't her own. Personally, she thought it was too rough and wheedling, but it made her part that bit more realistic.  Course, there was always the chance that the stranger meant well for her, but that could be chancy, and she wasn't the sort to leave it all up to luck. If she did, she wouldn't have made it to this day.  Aloise, 339 words, notes: n/a

[Aloise]

"Ah, my apologies."

Aloise's eyes narrowed ever so slightly before she managed to school her expression back into neutrality. Smart Dratini. Of course, there was always the chance that Aloise was reading too much into the situation and that she was potentially about to harass an innocent civilian, but her gut was telling her that this was not the case. She wouldn't have bothered talking to the Dratini in the first place if she'd thought the other an innocuous child.

She chanced a quick glance back at the stall; the owner, perhaps cowed by the weird stares he'd been getting, had calmed down somewhat, but he was still glaring over in their general direction, no doubt searching for the culprit. Fortunately for the Dratini, the marketplace was crowded and she'd be hidden in the press of the bodies--for now. Aloise would no doubt have to beat a hasty retreat if things got hairy, but for now there was no reason to leave.

Turning her eyes back to the Dratini, she let her leafy appendages bob up and down in a shrug. "I just thought that you'd know what was happening back there"--she gestured towards the stall--"since you came from that direction. Some clumsy customer must've broken something good. The shopkeep's red in the face."

She shrugged again. "Well, whoever it is, they're bound to get caught eventually. Or maybe not. Depends on their luck." At that, she let the faintest glimmer of interest shine in her eyes. Your turn, Dratini.

Tinair

[Tinair]

[googlefont="Candal"]

it's not betrayal if i was never loyal in the first place

Her expression remained neutral, bland enough for people to think that she could have been dropped onto her head when she was a babe. Several times. If she was, it never affected her thinking process. The cottonee was worrying. Somehow, Tinair felt that her suspicion was not gone, though she was hiding it. That could only mean trouble. Why would an innocent bystander want to hide anything? Who was she? A game of wits was always fun, but it could not be played with the wrong people. She didn't seem too threatening. There were escape routes if she needed to make a quick exit. For now, the game continues. How delightful. A hint of a superior smile on her face, one that said 'I know more than you', Tinair continued her facade. "Aye, yes, that I heard. He coulda woke the dead!" Her gaze turned into a questioning one, one that wondered why the being in front of her did not notice something that was so obvious. "Either he has a dreadful temper, or someone's in big trouble. I wouldn't give half a copper to the health of the one that had annoyed him so much." Of course, she was talking about herself, but no one else need to know that. She sounded like a law-abiding citizen, hopefully, one that was rather full of herself. "You'd have to find out yourself what exactly has gone on, though. I'druther stay out of trouble, if it's all the same to you." The final sentence was more of an invitation to leave, thinly cloaked in politeness. The cottonee had delayed her departure for long enough. If she had any actual business with her, she could say them now or leave Tinair alone. Aloise , 228 words, sorry for lateness!