⌘ Common ⌘ Rakahi ⌘ Euthic Sign ⌘ Grovokian ⌘
11th of Saun, 717
Sharpened nails, clawlike in their hardened beauty, dug into the slabs of dried meat, tearing each piece into thin lines. Navyri’s blue eyes danced upon the crowd, chewing a salted strip with careful consideration. Each person her gaze lingered on had a purpose; potential. She didn’t seem to be eyeing anyone in particular at first - young, old, strong, frail. The city of Etzos had a variety of individuals that would suit her purpose, and with a final bite, she pushed off from the wall she had been leaning against, and weaved within the crowd. She imitated their movements, the flow of the people. She watched the way they stepped, and felt the pace of which they shuffled about. The streets were crowded, but easy enough to slip in and out of the bodies for those light of foot.She dropped to the ground, as if retrieving something that had dropped, but for those perceptive enough, they might have noticed the sheen of a blade as it was pulled from the leather of her boot. She stood easily enough and continued to walk as if nothing was out of the ordinary. People paid her no mind, or so she thought, and the dark haired Naer moved to where a woman was bent over, wiping the ruddy face of a child who was crying, with two more little tykes tugging on her skirts. Navyri smiled only slightly when she saw what she was looking for, and walked briskly past the woman, the blade reaching outward and digging into the coin purse hanging from the side of the woman’s hip. Silver coins dropped and scattered on the stone streets, the sound causing heads to turn in every direction. Money was always wanted, always recognizable.
The people only hesitated for a moment, their hands going to their own pockets, before greedy fingers clawed at the ground. Navyri could imagine it now, the mother’s face as she turned and looked down at the sound, unsure whether she should scramble with the rest of them, or protect her kin from the chaos that followed. Perhaps the woman would justify it later, or… perhaps not. Navyri regretted not looking back, keeping her eyes focused solely on her next target - her real one.
Success was defined by many factors, but when it came to stealing, pickpocketing, lockpicking, the main objective was always the same - don’t get caught. Or if you are, never stick around long enough for the punishment. The Naerikk had been living by these rules for sometime, and now was practicing the second - picking your hit. She saw him hesitate for a moment like the rest of them, but was far enough away there would have been nothing for him to pick at, and judging by his scowl and the fabric of his tunic, couldn’t imagine his need for monetary value. Not like the rest of them.
Navyri glimpsed down at herself, and frowned. Her shirt was red, far too bright to blend if this went south, but judging by the guards that were moving to break up the crowd that was now bickering over a few silver nels, her chances were better than before. Holding her blade downward, not swinging her arm and keeping it close, she looked passable for another citizen, and sheathed it in her boot once more. Her target was trying to move out of the crowd, and dipped a hand into his trousers, opening a pocket watch and snapped it closed. Navyri’s eyes locked on it like a cat spotting prey, and she sped up, closing in, and right before passing him, shoved into another. A small cry, particularly for dramatics, left her lips and she stumbled into her target, hands gripping at him as she fell to the ground.
In the mess, her hands caught upon the thin gold chain hanging from his pocket and she felt it snap, just as she dropped to the street. The richer man rounded, realizing her fall and tried to catch her, but Navyri was already cursing the rudeness of some people and looked up at her savior.
“Oh, thank you,” she breathed, reaching up for the arms extended towards her and gripping them as she was pulled to her feet, “The audacity of some….” she trailed off, stepping perhaps a little too close and looked into the eyes of the man. She could see the effect she had on him, the briefest hesitation as his touch lingered before pulling away. Navyri continued smoothly, “These people…” (The poor) her tone screamed, “Are acting like animals. Have they no manners?”
She gave a dirty look to where the money had dropped and the man seemed to catch her drift, spotting the expensive color of her shirt, “Some people simply have no class. Are you sure you’re alright?”
“Oh, you’re too sweet,” one hand rested on his chest, catching his attention, while her thumb and pointer finger gripped the end of the chain. There was some resistance and she extended her one of her feet, “I might have hurt my ankle when I fell… It hurts to move it a bit,” she rolled the joint of her foot, wincing audibly, and forced the desire to smile from her face when he bent down to inspect it. As he lowered himself, the pocket watch freed itself and she internally breathed a great sigh of relief when she began to tuck the stolen item into her back pocket and away from lingering eyes. It was there her free hand rested as she made light conversation with the man, praising his good heart and reassuring him that she would be fine. She made a few more comments that implied she had wealth, that somehow the two of them were above the rest of these people, and could tell he appreciated the camaraderie. Being attractive helped too, she was sure.
Wrapping up the conversation, she gave him a kiss on the cheek in farewell and moved back into the crowd, giving a small limp for extra grandeur. Smiling to herself, the rush of adrenaline thrilled her like it did with every steal, and she returned to her original spot against the wall, the pleasant weight of a new trinket now in her possession.

