Making Friends ★★★ Kyupin tugged uncomfortably at her dress, averting her gaze from the noble in front of her. Madam Roselyn, she'd been informed. Of the Ravens house. Although not much one for politics, when she'd gotten wind of the unrest in Falderen and the chance of nobles funding more war, Kyupin had decided to do whatever she could to prevent that. For her, the best possible outcome was just everybody deciding to put down their arms, to let things be peaceful. And to do that, she'd have to make sure neither side got funding! But stealing…? She cleared her throat, looking around at the extravagant lobby she was currently seated in. "A-Are you sure about this, ma'am?" she asked, desperately hoping that it was all a joke. She got a frown instead. "I wouldn't ask if I wasn't. That amulet is a family heirloom and I want it back. If you can get it for me, I promise the Ravens won't have anything to do with the war." Their eyes met, elegant piercing into shy. "If I don't see that amulet? Or if we're linked to the theft? Well," and Kyupin remembered why she didn't like politicians, "no promises can be made. Are we clear on that, little Felis?" She really did hate this entire situation, and wondered how she'd even gotten herself dragged into it. "Crystal, ma'am." But now that she knew what Lady Roselyn wanted, there was a huge chance failure would make things worse. As Kyupin left the estate, she approached the figure scouting around the outside of the property. Waving, Kyupin tried (and failed) to hide her discomfort. "Eleanor," she called out, "Madam Roselyn and I came to an… agreement." She sighed, crouching to scratch Vulcan behind the ears. He hadn't seemed to cause any trouble when she'd left him in the care of her current partner. "We have to steal an amulet from the Qrowberg estates and return it to her, but the Ravens can't be linked to this." Shrinking into herself, Kyupin took comfort in the small whine Vulcan directed her way. Even though her furry companion couldn't understand the meaning of her words, he still knew when to pipe up to cheer her up. "If we get caught, there's no help. Are you sure you still want to do this?" Because Kyupin wasn't. There was no choice in the matter, not really, but she didn't actually want to do it. Maybe Eleanor would feel otherwise and at least one of them could be confident in the situation. Regardless of the answer, Kyupin started the trek towards the Qrowberg estates on the other side of the capital, her loyal companion at her heels. She could only hope things wouldn't go too horribly for them. Thrown die: 81 81 / 320 @Eleanor Loan
Eleanor paused for a moment, an odd looking flower catching her attention. The soft purple-blue petals crept from between two cobblestone bricks on the ground. Mildly curious, she crouched, holding part of the slightly bending stem in her hand. Idly, she wondered what uses such vegetation could have. Perhaps it was just a pretty, useless flower. "Oh?" Turning and standing, upon hearing her name, the rim of her blue hat raised up so her eyes could catch sight of the incoming Felis she was going to be working with. Silently and attentively, she gathered information from what she was being told. "Stealing an amulet..." That verb, stealing, had such a negative connotation in Eleanor's mind, yet all ends required certain means. She temporary set her diction judgement aside. "Alright, well." She paused to carefully examine the interaction between the small animal and it's... Owner? Friend? She still had yet to explore what sort of relationship the two maintained. With a confident smirk, Eleanor tipped her own hat. "I suppose we just won't be caught then, hm." Recognizing the discomfort in regards to their duty, the awkward detective decided to at least make an attempt at easing the tension. Reaching forward, she gave the slightly shorter girl a pat on the head. "We'll be fine." "To the Qrowberg estates then? Shouldn't be too far..." Hands slipping into her pockets, she set out, with a slow, casual gait, though not one exempt of purpose. Thrown die: 27 108 / 320
She took some comfort in the casual way Eleanor seemed to be handling the entire situation. It didn't completely ease the weight settling in her stomach as they got closer and closer, but it helped. The Qrowberg estates came into sight far too quickly, and Kyupin had to swallow down every half-baked excuse building in her mind. You have to, she reminded herself, or the war will never end. Innocent people would continue to die so long as people who had the power to help hesitated to do what was necessary. It made sense. It was logical. Rational. But Kyupin still felt sick, and edged closer to Eleanor as if the other's presence were the only thing keeping her grounded to reality. "I don't see a way in," she murmured, keeping her head bowed down and trying her very best to seem like she really did belong lurking around the luxurious estate. They'd been given no maps, no floorplans, no instructions other than to retrieve that amulet. "Maybe the back?" she suggested, voice uncertain. Between the two of them, Eleanor seemed to be the more analytical of the two, so maybe she would have a better idea. There didn't seem to be many people patrolling, but Kyupin knew at least not to barge in through the front doors. That plan never seemed to work in common media. She softly commanded Vulcan to be on his best behaviour, lest he give them away, and then pinned Eleanor with a look of utmost faith. "Lead the way," she said. Hopefully, Eleanor was good at giving instructions - it was easier for her to follow commands than try and take any control. Thrown die: 3 111 / 320 @Eleanor Loan
Eleanor paused for a moment as the target came into view. Carefully, she scanned the exterior. There had to be an entrance for the pair of just burglars, committing a lesser evil to avoid a greater. Usually, when breaking and entering, the front door was one of the less bright ideas, but perhaps-- A guard walked past a window just next to the front entrance, stopping for a moment to glance around. In a panicked instance, Eleanor swiftly moved herself behind a nearby corner. A palm on the back of her companion attempted to quickly lead them out of the way. "Seems to be a patrol of sorts inside. Might make for some trouble." Peeking from the corner, the coast seemed clear. "Alright, seems to be..." Her eyes caught sight of a shrouded passage on one end of the home. "An alley over there." With a careful glance back, Eleanor spoke through a determined, serious guise to her companion. "Stay behind me." In a mixture of quickness and quietness, she darted towards the alley, keeping her head and body low. A hand carefully lingered behind her, cautiously in front of her companion. "Perhaps this path will present an opportunity for us." Creeping tentatively through the alley, a row of small, identical windows lined the wall at varying heights. They all appeared closed, yet one caught Eleanor's eye with a slight crack. Perfect. Swiftly moving towards the ajar window, Eleanor knelt down, turning towards her companion. "You head in first, I'll help you up. Be careful." Words faint, but concise. The window lurked about seven and a half feet up. Eleanor was slightly disturbed by how easily all of this seemed to fit her element. Thrown die: 42 153 / 320
She was completely out of her element, but it seemed to be right up Eleanor's alley. Kyupin followed each command with diligence, keeping her footfall soft and her breathing controlled. The only thing that she hesitated on was the moment Eleanor bent down, gesturing for her to use the other as a support to the window. Would she have to go first? Alone? "Okay," she said, slightly breathless. She swallowed thickly, planting one foot on the platform Eleanor made with her hands. With the boost, Kyupin managed to nudge the window open further, her fingers digging into the frame. A little bit of wiggling and straining, and then the lithe Felis had slipped through the opening. They were in. They were in! She stamped down on the giddiness that came with doing stupid things but succeeding at it anyways, and pushed the window open further. Leaning her body out the window, she tried to reach out to Eleanor, so that the other could take her hand. Never before had Kyupin cursed her height, but in moments like these where being taller would make such a big difference, she hated it. She wiggled her fingers, expression helpless. "Try… try jumping?" she suggested, momentarily breaking their eye contact to look around. There didn't seem to be anybody in this corner of the building, but who knew how long that would stay true? They would have to hurry if they wanted a chance to get that amulet. Looking back through the window, Kyupin stretched herself out further. Just a little further! Thrown die: 77 230 / 320 @Eleanor Loan
Eleanor took a step back, seeing as her companion had successfully infiltrated through the window. She analyzed the height, subtly dismissing the hint of doubt within her mind. Now was not the time for such things. As the other leaned her body out the window, reaching her arms down as far as they could reach, Eleanor prepared herself for the leap. Her list of attributes, as few as there were for the beginner character, definitely did not include athleticism. In a short dash at the wall, she attempted to, with one foot planted against it, push herself as high as she could. In a burst of all her strength, her left arm grasp to her companion's waiting hand, while her right had managed to cling the edge of the window. In a scramble of an effort between the both of them, and in a few moments, it seemed they'd managed to, rather ungracefully, enter the establishment. At least they'd made it inside, but the hard part was to find the amulet. At least, that's how Eleanor saw it. In a brief moment of down time, she gave a concise nod to her companion, as a sign of thanks. For now, words could wait. She gazed into the room. Thrown die: 2 232 / 320 @Kyupin Felnya
In their scrambled attempts to get in, something very expensive and very breakable had fallen with a loud CRASH! They'd made too much sound – attracting attention from the patrol nearby. Kyupin could hear their confused mutters and their footsteps growing clearer as they approached. She looked helplessly around the room, and then to Eleanor. "There's no time!" she squeaked, trying to keep her voice low. Her eyes darted around. No amulet. Not in here. "W-We have to go, now." Kyupin wasn't one for commands, but getting caught and possibly killed was not in her list of plans today. Slipping easily through the window slot, Kyupin fell the necessary distance to the alley ground below, landing with a painful "oof". Like a cat, she'd landed on her feet, and then rolled forward to take some of the impact from her legs. Vulcan slid between her legs, bouncing around her like her nervous energy. The Felis looked up to the window, waiting for Eleanor's figure to come out as well. They could talk about how or why they'd failed later, when they wouldn't be caught and tortured and interrogated about their nefarious little plans. She peeked around the corner of the alley, double-checking that nobody had come this way round yet. If they wanted to leave unseen, they had to go now. "Eleanor?" she asked, voice still quiet. 232 / 320 OBJECTIVE FAILED @Eleanor Loan
The resounding crash seemed ear-splitting, especially considering that they were trying to sneak. Eleanor's eyes flashed through the room in a panic. Her Felis companion was correct, they definitely had to escape, and without a moment to spare. The burglary had taken a drastic twist rather swiftly. She observed the other abscond first. Unfortunately, the window seemed far too compact to allow simultaneous extraction. Her heart rattled quicker than the pace of rapidly tapping footsteps headed in their direction. In a moment of perturbation, the figure in blue had to think fast. Her eyes scoured the room, coming upon a fitting chair. In a sprint through the room, she propped the back of the chair at the knob, barring the door closed. Just as the versatile seat was place into position, the handle rattled, as the patrol guards arrived. With a few deep breaths, she regained her calm, before leaping and vaulting herself through the window. With as much momentum as she had, Eleanor's hands and feet collided with the wall on the opposite side, before landing. "Heh, yeah, let's get out of here..." with one hand in her pocket, the other pulling down on the rim of her hat, Eleanor transitioned from the alleyway. As they made their escape, the newbie rubbed the back of her neck, taking responsibility for the failure. "Sorry about that. I apparently need to work on my larceny..." @Kyupin Felnya
