Bah, burglary!

Strauss always thought of himself as a second story man until Jason had started making sarcastic cracks that his second story was always better than the first he told. Then he just thought of himself as a burglar. However, this really wasn't the neighbourhood for burglaring, no matter how much food he swiped out of the pantry. It was just too poor.

But, the thief's guild refused to let him transfer to another district, so he was stuck here. He'd tried braching out, moving laterally into pick pocketing, having his license to do both, but it hadn't helped much, to be honest. The locals didn't have any coin in their pockets either.

Still, every once in a while you got lucky, some lordling deciding the brave the bad side of town for a bad sort of girl, some out of towner that stumbled into the wrong area. Just a matter of knowing who the regulars were, really.

Still, he was sure his eyes had passed over the girl two or three times before his ears got the message through about the tinkle of, could it be, gold on gold. It could be forgiven really, that he didn't pick up the noise at first, he heard silver on silver rarely enough, but gold on gold?

She was unremarkable, really, a brown cloak hiding what little of a form she had, a bit of mousy brown hair visible from behind, poking out from her hood. A lord's daughter, perhaps? A servant making her way to buy a horse or something? Why was she here?

Not that it mattered. Gold was not something to pass up.

Strauss walked causually down the street, moving quickly, passing her in a few moments as he kept an eye on her in his periphreal. A quick turn at the corner...this would be cake. Just cross behind her and ruffle her cloak going past. He was ready, catching her at the corner.

She turned away from him, around the corner, rotating on the corner like a soldier.

Strauss couldn't react fast enough. Instead of swooping off the purse he knew was there, his hand impacted squarely into her rear, giving her an accidental goose.

Then things began happening really fast.

The girl whirled, and he heard the scrape of a sword leaving a scabbard, his leg being swept, and suddenly he was on his back on the ground. The sword was in her hand, the tip pointed rather steadily at his...

She giggled, dragging his eyes up. She was, well, cute. Not beautiful and busty as most swordwomen were, but the sort of face that made you want to pat her on the head and send her off to play with dolls. Her figure was nothing to right home about either. However, given how steadily she held that sword...

"A pervert!" she said, in a tone that was probably more suited for finding ice cream. "Do you know what I do to perverts? C'mon, guess!" she extorted.

Strauss had a pretty good guess. He gulped, and tried a strange tactic. The truth. "Is what you do to pickpockets any better, milady, as to be honest, that's what I was trying for."

Bah, roommates!

Jason entered his meagre kitchen, blithely ignoring the shape lurking in the shadows of the far wall. He went to the pantry, pulling out a hunk of bread. The shape moved a bit closer, still indistinct.

"It's my bread, Stauss." Jason said flatly, "I work. Work gives me money. Money gives me food. I eat the food. Me."

"I wouldn't have dreamed of asking for any bread." The shadow, Strauss, responded, "In fact, I'm shocked you'd even suggest such a thing."


"If you say so.." Jason muttered. It wasn't that he didn't trust Strauss, it was just that he was a total liar. Okay, yes it WAS that he couldn't trust him.

"So, exciting day at work?" Strauss asked. Jason could see the Shadow that was Strauss moving slowly towards the outside door.

"Same as always. Wake up, go use my university degree towards serving mentally challenged adventurers, who couldn't tell the sharp end of a sword from the blunt one." Jason paused. His pulse was rising. Again. His alchemist friends were always warning him about that.

"Do go on." Strauss said assuringly, still inching towards the door.

"I'm a fucking adept, a mage. Why in Thoath's name am I working in a weapons store?" Jason seethed. "I.." Jason paused as he realized that Strauss was right by the front door. He too a moment, and examined his bread, eyes narrowing. "I'm absolutely sure I had more than this when I left this morning..."

"As I was was saying, I'd never dream of ASKING you for any..." Strauss grinned goofily, and darted outside. "See ya!"

Jason growled at the departing figure, and ripped a huge bite of bread off, eating noisily. Sucky job, a thief for a roommate, and no end in sight. He kicked the side of the kitchen table, and flopped down into the nearest stool. Sew stew stew. Among the many not-good days Jason had, this wasn't really in the top ten or anything, but the fact that this was as good as it was going to get, was daily being drilled into his head. "There has GOT to be more." He muttered.

Soon, he'd wish he hadn't.

Bah, storekeepers!

The chimes jingled as the door opened, admitting what might be thought of as a hero. Blond of hair, mighty of hew, sword of compensation, he posed dramatically in the doorway.

"Ho, storekeeper! I hear that you have the Greatsword of Haliburton!" he cried, sword raised, the sun silhouetting his mighty figure in the doorway, glinting off his armour as the sun set.

Jason bet he waited outside until the sun was low enough to be impressive, the tool. "Yeah, we got it. Fifty thousand gil, and that looks like about a size...fifteen sword?" Must be compensating for something, Jason smirked to himself.

"Er, yes..."

Obviously, big, blond and brainless wasn't used to people that weren't impressed by him. Just like a good portion of the customers that came through the store. It was depressing, really. A magical university education, and the best job he could find was the night manager for this place.

"Right. Would you like a scabbard with that?" he asked, cursing mentally.

-===-

He sighed, the moonlight bright enough to see the path tonight, at least. The store locked and secured, he finally had everything cleaned up about a half-hour after he stopped being paid for it.

His shack was pretty meagre, with two small rooms off a general kitchen living area, but heck, it was home. Of course, it was home shared with a roommate. He sighed, turning around to lean with his back against the door.

Life, he has to admit, was lousy. He had a dead end job, a tiny place, and had to deal all evening with stuck-up, preening goofballs that thought of themselves as invincible heroes. Why didn't everyone see them for what they really were?

His hand rested on the door handle as he paused for a moment, staring up into the startlingly clear night, at the thousands of stars twinkling overhead. It calmed him, the space above him giving light to a well buried hope that hung on despite the dark cynicism it was surrounded with. "I wish," he whispered softly, "for something more."

He stared up an unanswering sky, then sighed. He shook his head at his own foolishness, and turned around to open the door. Unseen behind him, a star shot across the heavens, leaving a fiery trail in its wake.

-===-