Alex pushed the door to the Milk Bar open. She'd spent the morning since leaving Rissie enjoying the attractions of the Carnival of Time and cutting purse strings. People were far to liberal with there rupees this time of year with so many flashing lights and attractive displays everyone's wallet became open to whatever vendor they were standing in front of. Alex was disappointed to find that because of this she was mostly finding blue (5), yellow (10), and red (20) rupees. She'd given up after an hour or so only being about fifty rupees richer (her current total at 104 rupees).

Alex had decided that work could wait. She was well off enough for the moment and the Prince of Ikana and his speech was coming soon. Everyone needed a day off every now and then including Alex's worn out Uncle. Mathias had a tenancy to over work himself. When he was in his prime he was perhaps one of the most impressive thieves that Termina had ever since but since his age had started to cost him he'd used his connections to become a very influential middle man for those that could still work the field. He fenced merchandise, found targets and clients as well as having a great deal of advice for those just starting off. That is not to say that he was all heart. If you used Mathias' information he expected a cut of the profits. Not even his adopted niece was above that rule.

As she had expected Mathias was downing a glass of Milk while outlying the defenses of some building schematic. The cartography was expertly done but Alex wasn't interested at the moment. "Uncle Matt," She said approaching him from behind. It was only the amateurs that jumped at noises and hurriedly hide whatever it was that they were working on. Mathias was much smoother than that. He made a succinct turn in his chair at the same time sweeping the building diagram into his pocket so that she couldn't get a closer look.

"Changed your mind about a job?" he asked with a sort of growl that said she was interrupting something. Despite his age of nearly fifty Mathias' long face showed no sign of grey hair either in the stuff that he kept at a military length on his head or the stubble that was forming a mustache and beard. He could easily be mistaken for someone ten years younger and he still had the strength of a middle aged man plus a lot of muscle gained over many hard years from his work.

"No," said Alex she said shaking her head slightly as though she was shaking the notion of working today off her shoulder. "I can work every other day of the year. Today I'm takin' a break and so should you. The Prince of Ikana is arrivin' today to give a speech. Ain'tcha gonna watch?" 

"Mathias turned back to the bar. "Why would I want to see a thing like that?" He asked gruffly. 

"Oi, don't play games with Matt. You're favorite story is 'bout robbin' the Ikana palace itself an' takin' that coin from the King's room." 

It was an age old story that Mathias had loved to tell to Alex and Ali. He had been seventeen when the gates of Ikana had opened and welcomed warriors to its ranks. He'd gone seeking glory but it became clear to him that he didn't belong among the knights. There followed a long adventure of room jumping and tower climbing which Alex suspected Mathias had mostly made up. She couldn't really be sure how much of the story was true but in the end he'd taken a piece of Ikanan gold and turned it into a pendant that he wore around his neck. It was this robbery that had forced him to take refuge in Pirate's Landing. Even thirty years later he still told the story. "Don't ya wanna see the Prince you robbed blind?" She asked, again she didn't know if it was true but she knew that Mathias' pride would force him to accept her challenge.

"Alright you win," he growled "Nasty little con artist." he muttered under his breath. 

"Eh," she said cockily. "I learned from the best."

Twenty minutes later Alex and Mathias were standing on the outskirts of the crowd that blocked the parade from view. "Well this ain't no good." she said to herself. "Uncle Matt, I'm goin' ta scale one of these building. Get a better view. I'll throw ya down a rope when I'm done." Mathias grunted something about being able to climb himself. To a lot of people Mathias was intimidating but years of following his footsteps and learning his skills had given Alex a certain amount of his manner made all the more frightening by the fact that she didn't have his large form to back it up. Mathias could be deadly but he'd always had a soft spot for her. After all he'd practically raised her and Ali.

It didn't take Alex long to get up the building, climbing up rough bricks and holes and balconies. When she got to the top she wasn't surprised to find a small crowd of Deku Scrubs and a few children to whom the art of climbing had not yet been lost. Paying them very little mind Alex reached into her bag and untied the rope that kept her bedroll together and tied it around a chimney. After checking to make sure the knot and the chimney were stable Alex called down to Mathias that it was safe. Though Mathias might have lost some of his finesse to age he was just as strong as ever. Mathias used the rope and the wall to finally haul himself onto the roof with Alex and the family of Deku scrubs. He dislodged a tile or too on his ascent but they didn't land on anyone.

"Ya gettin' slow old man." She said to him smiling as she helped pull him onto the roof. He rolled his eyes as her before they settled next to the Scrubs to watch the procession in front of them. Alex couldn't help but be impressed. She didn't have any political opinions of the closing of the Ikanan gates and so was content to watch the procession with its rich ornamental armor parade itself through the streets. As a con artist Alex knew this kind of trick. This was what her people generally called the bedazzle, it went by other names but it was the opening stage of a con were you attracted the mark or marks with a flashy show and impressed them with a fancy dinner or a wondrous estate to the point that they would believe anything you said. With a long lost nation coming back into play it wasn't exactly the same thing but similar rules applied to the political table that did the confidence trade. A good portion of con artists that Alex knew could make excellent politicians if they had a better background.

"Impressive," said Alex to Mathias nodding at the parade of knights. " Almost enough of a glamour show ta make peoples forget that we've not heard a peep from em for the last twenty five years."